


You All Deserve Each Other

by aprylynn



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-02-27 23:20:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 131
Words: 55,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2710373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aprylynn/pseuds/aprylynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of drabbles based on our favorite NCIS team in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>Most chapters are Kensi x Deeks relationship or friendship with other characters.<br/>Other relationships featured:<br/>Eric x Nell - Chapters 22, 26, 32, 43, 47, 53<br/>Callen x Joelle - Chapters 44, 60<br/>Callen x Nell - Chapter 66<br/>Sam x Michelle - Chapter 78<br/>Sam x Deeks (brotp) - Chapters 93, 105<br/>Callen x Talia - Chapter 111</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New hoodie

Prompt from idristardis - Densi. Deeks gets a new hoodie. Kensi notices ;)

* * *

 

"You have been staring at me all day."

"I have not. What are you talking about?"

"Don't lie. You don't have to be ashamed, Kens. I understand. Anybody would understand. It's kind of hard not to look when you have someone as handsome and charming as me for a partner."

Kensi rolled her eyes. She knew she had to fess up or else Deeks would never let this go. That was one of his more annoying qualities… one that strangely was not bothering her as much as it used to.

"Fine. You got a new hoodie. I like it."

"You think it looks good on me, huh? And you would be correct."

"Actually, I think it would look better on me. Where'd you get it?"

"Why are you asking? Everything else of mine that you like you just take and then I never see it again."

"That's not true."

"You really need to work on being a better liar."

 


	2. Stakeout

Prompt from wingsofnight - Deeks and Nell on a stakeout.

* * *

 

"Is something wrong, Deeks?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, you're being unusually quiet."

"It's a stakeout, Nell. This is your first one. Believe me, this is how these things go."

"Yeah… I would normally believe that. But when you're on a stakeout with Kensi, I'm either in ops listening to the audio live or I listen to it later to document the case."

"Okay, so what's your point?"

"You talk to her. A lot. Even when she tells you to shut up, you keep talking. I have to scan through a lot of your dialogue before I get to details that are important to the case. And now, you've barely said anything. It just seemed odd to me and I was wondering if you're okay."

Deeks sat very still and looked straight ahead. He acted as if he had not heard her. Just as Nell thought it would be best not to push the matter any further, he spoke up.

"I miss her, Nell."

"I know, Deeks. I know."

"Wait, did you listen to the audio when we were staked out at Sidorov's?"

"What? What was that? Oh, um, maybe we should focus on watching our guy."

 


	3. Shooting range

Prompt from hondagirll - Sam and Callen and Deeks take Eric to the shooting range.

* * *

 

"I don't know if I can do this, guys."

"Eric, you said you wanted more experience in the field and this comes with the territory." Callen handed him a Sig 9mm.

"Come on, just pretend the target is a pair of pants that Hetty is going to make you wear."

"That's not funny, Deeks. That day was awful. Something bad always happens whenever Hetty makes me wear pants."

"You're talking about the time you almost got frelted?"

"Don't ever say that word again."

"Eric, you can do this, just like we showed you." Sam was the only one who was trying to be encouraging. "It won't be too long and you'll be showing the rest of us how it's done."

Eric took a deep breath and took the gun from Callen. He planted his feet, lifted his arms, and took aim. He fired one shot and the four of them were stunned as they looked at the target. There was a small hole right in the center.

Callen cleared his throat. "Ok, now do that fifty more times and then you can have my job."

 


	4. Missing cronut

Prompt from sunshiningdownonmeandyou - Kensi, Monty & a cronut.

* * *

 

"Where's my cronut?"

"What cronut?"

"Don't play dumb with me. The one you got for me the other day."

"I thought you didn't want it because it wasn't the real thing."

"Just because it was an impostor doesn't mean I didn't want it."

"Deeks, it said croissant donut on the package. Isn't that close enough?"

"No, a croissant donut from the bakery down the street is not the same thing as an authentic cronut from New York City."

"You just called it a cronut before."

"You're deflecting. Stop deflecting. What happened to it?"

"I don't know. Maybe Monty ate it."

"Monty? Really? Because I put it on top of the refrigerator. You think Monty developed some acrobatic ninja skills that I don't know about? Or do you think someone else ate it and is now trying to blame it on my poor innocent semi-retired police dog?"

Kensi smiled at Deeks, walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Well, I guess we'll never know, will we?"

"I smell cronut on your breath."

"Shut up."


	5. Too close

Prompt from hermionesmydawg - Callen and Sam discuss Kensi and Deeks' "thing" after the germophobe conversation in "Fallout."

* * *

 

"Did you think that was weird?"

"I think a lot of things that happen around here are weird. You're going to have to be more specific, Sam."

"That whole thing with Kensi and Deeks. They seem to know a lot about each others apartments."

"I don't know if that's weird. You know my place pretty well."

"That's because you don't own anything, G. There's not much to notice."

"Hey, I bought a new lamp the other day."

"Congratulations. Your home décor is now complete."

"Very funny."

"So you're not at all concerned that something may be going on between them?"

Callen was quiet for a few minutes before he answered. "I don't know. They've been partners for a long time. It's only natural that they would get close."

"Yeah, but do you think they're too close?"

"Define too close."

"I don't know why I talk to you sometimes."

"Ok, fine. You're wondering if they may have feelings for each other that go beyond that of partnership and you're wondering whether or not those personal feelings will get in the way of them doing their jobs. Did I get that right?"

"Pretty much."

"How'd that work out for you and Michelle?"

"I'm not talking to you anymore."


	6. Team building

Prompt from pracarual - OSP spends the day at Habitat for Humanity and Sam has to teach the team his skills.

* * *

 

"Everyone listen up. I don't want to have to bring anyone to the emergency room because they cut off a finger." Sam was trying to get everyone's attention and it wasn't working.

"I think I got a sliver. I need to take a break."

"We haven't even started yet, Deeks. Kensi, I'm going to need you to supervise your partner. You're the only other person here who seems to know what they're doing."

"Babysit Deeks. Got it. It'll be just like any other day."

"Hey, have a little sympathy. I have an injury. You want to kiss it and make it better?"

"Hey, Sam, is there something here I can do that's more in my field of expertise? Like... is there a computer I can fix?"

"Eric, you knew ahead of time what we were going to do here. And why are you wearing flip-flips? We're suppose to be building a house!"

"What's the problem? I should be fine, right?"

Sam sighed in frustration and looked around. "Hey, has anyone seen Callen? He was here a minute ago and we're going to need his help."

Nell spoke up. "Um, I think I heard him say something about finding a mojito."

Sam shook his head. "This is going to be a long day."

 


	7. Stakeout - part 2

Prompt from bookdiva - continue chapter 2 (Nell and Deeks on a stakeout)

* * *

 

"Nell?"

Nell sighed. She didn't think he was going to let this go. He never lets things go with Kensi.

"I heard it. And so did Eric. And so did Hetty."

"Great..."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. You were all just doing your jobs."

"Honestly, I forgot about it for awhile. We were so worried when we lost contact with you and Sam. All I cared about was getting you back alive."

"Well, I wouldn't have... if it weren't for all of you."

They met each others gaze and smiled affectionately. Deeks and Nell didn't get to spend much time together, but they had grown fond of each other. They saw each other as family.

"Did you and Kensi... ever talk about what happened that day?"

"No. It would seem that we still have a communication problem."

"You know, it doesn't have to stay that way."

"What do you mean?"

"She will be back eventually, right?"

"That's the plan."

"Well, you guys could communication then."

"It sounds like you're rooting for us or something."

Nell smiled and shrugged. "Who isn't?"


	8. Picture of Kensi

Prompt from yoursmilelaugheverything - Kensi finds a pic of herself in Deeks' drawer and confronts him

* * *

"What the hell is this? Why do you have this?"

Deeks knew by her tone that he was in trouble. He braced himself for an attack.

"Huh? What are you talking about, Kensalina?"

"Why do you have this picture of me in your desk drawer?"

"Why are you looking through my desk drawer?"

"I asked you first."

"Bulletproof logic as always, Kens."

"Just answer the question."

"Fine. I took it a long time ago, when we first meet. We were undercover at the MMA gym. You were this beautiful girl named Tracy who just showed up one day and I didn't trust you at all. I took the picture because I wanted find out more about you... you know... for the case. And then everything came to light and here we are. We lived happily ever after. The end."

"Okay, so that explains why you took the picture. Why do you still have it?"

"I don't know. I guess it reminds me of how far we've come. We've gone from strangers who thought the other was up to no good to partners who trust each other with our lives."

Kensi smiled. "I still think you're up to no good."

"Of course you do."

A troubling thought came across Kensi's mind and she wondered why it bothered her so much. "Um... is this how you remembered what I was wearing when we first met? You know, when we were Justin and Melissa?"

Deeks smiled and shook his head. "I'd never need a picture for that."

Kensi looked away, hoping he didn't see her blush.


	9. Stakeout - part 3

Prompt from bookdiva - Kensi listened to the tapes of Deeks and Nell's stakeout (chapter 7)

* * *

"So, how was it filling in for me while I was gone?"

"I liked doing something different. I like my job in ops for now, but I think I'd make a good field agent one day."

"How was it having Deeks as a partner? I know he can be a bit much to get used to."

"Actually, it was nice. He's great at his job. I always felt safe knowing he had my back. If I do become a field agent, I'd be lucky to have a partner like him."

Kensi was taken aback. She knew everything Nell was saying was true. She wondered why she was so quick to always think of him negatively.

"Um... I actually wanted to run something by you."

"Sure."

"I, uh, I heard the recording from that stakeout you two were on."

Nell tensed up. "Okay?"

"What did you mean when you said you were rooting for us?"

"I wasn't the one who actually said that."

"You know what I mean."

"Well... I meant exactly what I said."

"And that means what exactly?"

Nell sighed. "Holy crap, you two  _are_  terrible communicators. Kensi, I'm going to say this as directly as I can. You two are perfect for each other and I hope one day you two stop kidding yourselves and just be happy together."

"Nell!"

"Hey, you asked."

 


	10. Dress uniform

Prompt from bookdiva - Kensi sees Deeks in his dress uniform

* * *

Kensi sat in Deeks' apartment, on his couch, all alone. Deeks was late. Very late. They were suppose to meet for dinner, but he had been delayed. The longer she sat there, the more hungry she became, and then the more annoyed she got.

Her phone alerted her to a message.  _Sorry again. I'm on my way there. I mean it this time._

She rolled her eyes.  _Hurry up. I'm starving. If you make me wait any longer, I'll make you buy me lobster._

_You're so funny._

_You think I'm kidding?_

_Ok ok ok. Hold on before I go broke._

Fifteen minutes later, the front door opened.

"Sorry, Kens. I was delayed by LAPD. They needed me to come in for this ceremony for this thing and I didn't have time to change and you're probably going to laugh but just try to go easy on me. Kens?"

His incessant babble started before he crossed the threshold. Kensi stood up and gazed at him with her mouth hanging open. He was wearing his LAPD dress uniform.

"Kensi? You're kind of creeping me out. Stop starting at me like that. I know I look ridiculous."

"Huh?" Kensi shook her head. "I'm sorry. I just... I've never seen you dressed like that before." She give him a little smile.

"You like what you see? Maybe I'll leave it on." He flashed a playful grin at her.

"Yeah, you look nice, but..."

"But? But what? I thought women loved a man in uniform."

She smiled. "Maybe... but I think I like you better the other way. T-shirt and jeans. That's more my Deeks."

"Your Deeks?"

"Just shut up and go change."

"Sure thing, sweetheart. I wouldn't want you to go into a hunger-induced rage because of me!"

 


	11. Give advice

Prompt from hermionesmydawg - Deeks giving Nell undercover advice while they're working as partners.

* * *

"Are you sure about this? This isn't how I was taught in my field agent training."

"Nell, sometimes you have to follow your instincts. Use you street smarts."

"I don't think I have street smarts. I work at a desk in front of a computer all day."

"Don't sell yourself short. How do you think you became so good at your job?"

"I don't know. I studied and learned all I could."

"Okay. Let me put it this way. Would you say that you've learned more studying about data analysis or actually being a data analyst?"

Nell smiled, finally understanding what he was talking about. "I've definitely learned more since I started. There are little tricks and short-cuts that I never could have learned from a book or a manual. And I've learned so much from Eric and his experience, too."

Deeks smiled at her. "It's the same with field work. There's only so much you can study about it. You have to train your instincts and the best way to do that is by getting experience."

"Thanks, Deeks. I get it."

"See? Our little Nellosaurus does have street smarts after all."

Nell rolled her eyes. "Really? Nicknames already?"

"Of course. It wouldn't be the same without them."

 


	12. Extra shirt

Prompt from hermionesmydawg - Kensi and Deeks arrive at OSP early and she can't find an extra shirt. (After episode 5x09 Recovery)

* * *

"I could have sworn that I had an extra shirt here. Where the hell is it?"

"Relax, Kens. We'll find one. Here, just wear one of mine."

"Yeah, like that won't be suspicious."

"And you think wearing the same shirt you wore yesterday isn't?"

"Why did we come to work first? Now I won't have time to go home without being late. I should have got up earlier."

"I know it's difficult getting out of bed in the morning when you have me..."

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Deeks! We said we wouldn't talk about that here."

"No, you said we wouldn't. I don't remember agreeing to anything like that."

"Of course you don't. This is going to be so awkward. What if Sam and Callen notice? What if Hetty notices?"

Deeks smiled at her. He knew that she was nervous and scared and confused. But he also knew that what happened between them the night before... there's no way that could have been a mistake.

"Hey, Kens, it's okay. We'll figure all of this out. I promise."

Kensi smiled back at him. "I hope you're right."

"You know I am. Now, I'll go to my desk and you come in a little later. Just be cool."

"Sure. No problem. Just be cool."

"You want a kiss for luck?"

"Deeks..."

"Okay, okay. I'll see you in a couple minutes."

 


	13. Christmas surprise

Prompt from ifiknowyouatall - "Don would have liked him."

* * *

"Agent Blye, are you turning in for the night?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"That's probably for the best. You haven't seemed at the top of your game lately. You should get some rest while you can."

"What? What are you talking about?"

Granger narrowed his eyes are Kensi. "I think you know what I'm talking about."

If he was Deeks, she would have berated him for not saying what he actually meant. But unfortunately, he wasn't Deeks. Deeks was thousands of miles away. As she thought about her partner, Kensi realized exactly what Granger was talking about. She had been distracted. She didn't know how to stop thinking about the most important person in her life… especially since she had no idea when she would see him again.

"Agent Blye, before you go, I have something for you. Seems appropriate given what today is."

December 25. She had completely lost track of the days.

"Don would have liked him." Granger said in a monotone as he handed Kensi a piece of paper.

"Excuse me?" Kensi finally managed to regain her voice.

"You heard me, Agent Blye. Merry Christmas."

Granger walked away and left her with her mouth wide open. She finally regained use of her facilities and unfolded the paper. She recognized the handwriting immediately.

_Kensi -_   
_This is not how I thought our first Christmas would be (you know, our first one since we started communicating), but unfortunately that was not up to us. I just want you to know that I will keep the promise I made to you. I will be patient. For as long as if takes. I look forward to the day when we can figure our "thing" out. No matter what it takes, it will be worth it because you are what I want most (I'm not good with metaphors so I'll just say what I mean). Merry Christmas, Fern. Be safe and come home soon._   
_\- Deeks_

As tears streamed down her face, Kensi knew Granger was right. Her father would have liked him.


	14. Thank you

Prompt from my own personal headcanon - "Michelle thanks Deeks for everything he did for Sam and for her."

* * *

"Michelle, it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too, Marty."

"You can call me Deeks. Everyone else does."

"I'm not everyone else and I'll call you Marty."

Deeks smiled. As tough as Sam was, Michelle was tougher. If she wanted to call him Marty, then there was no way he was going to argue with her.

"So how are you holding up? The last time we saw each other I was pretending to kill you and then there was the rooftop shootout."

"Yeah, that was awkward. Um… I've been alright."

"Really?" Michelle gave him a look that let him know she didn't actually believe him.

"Sure, as good as can be expected."

"You know, if you need anything, you just say the word to either me or Sam."

"Thanks. That means a lot."

"Also, I've been wanting to say something to you since the whole Sidorov thing and now seems as good a time as any."

She surprised him by walking right up to him and placing her hand on the right side of his face.

"Marty, I can't even begin to thank you enough for all you did for me and for Sam. Because of what you did… because of what you endured…" She paused as if she was about to cry, but she took a deep breath and blinked rapidly to compose herself. "You saved my husband and you saved me. We will be forever grateful for what you did for us." She leaned up and kissed him on his left cheek, the same side that was devastated by that maniac's drill.

Deeks was overwhelmed by this display of gratitude and affection. He tried to cover it up with a joke.

"You better be careful. Sam might get jealous."

"Sam can relax. If he has a problem, I'll set him straight."

Deeks smiled at her. "He's a lucky guy, Michelle."

"He sure is."


	15. Stakeout - part 4

Prompt from bookdiva - Kensi and Deeks actually communicate.

* * *

Nell was alone in ops center, catching up on work. She scanned through a recording of a stake out that Kensi and Deeks were on the day before, when she came across a part of their conversation that perked her interest.

_"So, you haven't told me about trip."_

_"It wasn't a trip. I wasn't on vacation. It was an assignment. And I can't really talk about it yet."_

_"Not even to your most favorite partner in the world?"_

_"No, Deeks."_

_"I didn't hear you argue on the favorite partner part."_

There was a pause where no one spoke for several minutes. Then Nell heard Kensi speak up.

_"You know... I really missed you... while I was gone."_

_"Really? I missed you, too._ _Um... you know, I was thinking..."_

_"Uh oh. That's dangerous."_

_"Very funny, Kens. No, seriously, there is a lot that I'd like to talk about with you."_

_"Same here."_

_"When we're done with this, do you want to grab some coffee and talk?"_

_"I'd love to."_

_"Really? Kensi Blye would love to talk?"_

Nell heard a dull thump.

_"Ow! Really, Kens, what was that for?"_

_"I'll tell you later. Now, pay attention. I think something is happening over there."_

Nell smiled. "It's about time, you two."

 


	16. Shooting range - part 2

Prompt from Anonn - Follow-up with those 50 shots (chapter 3)

* * *

Callen couldn't believe what he was seeing. If Deeks and Sam weren't there witnessing this as well, he would swear he was dreaming. Shot after shot after shot, Eric was hitting the target dead center.

Sam leaned over and asked, "Um, I think that was 45 in a row. Are you worried about your job yet?"

"Very funny. There's no way he can make it to 50. No way."

Five shots later, Callen was proved wrong. Eric put the gun down, turned towards them and smiled nervously.

"How'd I do?"

"How'd you do? Are you kidding? That's got to be some kind of record. I've never seen anyone who picked it up so quickly." Deeks was definitely impressed.

Callen was about to congratulate Eric on a job well done when something caught his eye. He saw Hetty watching them threw the window and she had a very amused look on her face. Then a light bulb went off in Callen's head.

"Hey, Eric, answer me this. Are you positive this is the first time you've fired a gun? Or is it possible that you had help from someone else before today?"

Eric's eyes opened really wide. "Well, would you look at the time? I have to get back to ops. You know, lots of work to do. See you guys later." Then he ran out of the door.

"Well, since it was rigged, I don't think I have to worry about Eric taking my job. Plus, it requires wearing pants."

Deeks spoke up. "Yeah, it may have been rigged, but he's still a better shot than all of us."

 


	17. New Years surprise

Prompt from bookdiva - Deeks gets a letter from Kensi (continue chapter 13)

* * *

"Mr. Deeks, it's New Years Eve. Why are you here so late? You should be celebrating the coming of 2014."

"I'm just catching up on some paperwork. Besides, there's only one person I'd want to celebrate with. And that's not a possibility."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Hetty. It is what it is."

"Well, I'm on my way out. I have something for you. I hope this will cheer you up. Happy New Year." She handed an envelop to Deeks and then walked out.

Deeks opened the envelop and took out a piece of paper. His heart began beating faster as he read.

_Deeks -_   
_I can't tell you how much your letter meant to me. I wish circumstances were different, too. I hate that I had to leave without even getting to say good-bye. I hate that we didn't get a chance to talk. I didn't even get a chance to burn my shirt. (I know, you're probably making fun of my terrible sense of humor now. I think it's the only thing that's worse than my communication skills.)_   
_Since you were able to say what you actually meant in your letter to me, I figured I'd give it a shot in return._   
_I have to admit that our thing scares me. I want to make this work with you. I haven't wanted anything this much in a very long time. I'm afraid of screwing it up or of you being taken away from me. But as much as it scares me, I know there's no going back. You are my frozen lake. You are what I want most. I promise I will do anything to make it work. Even if it scares me.  
_ _Take care of yourself. Thank you for being patient with me. I will be home as soon as I can.  
_ __(I also need to say that I'm really sorry for punching you. That was an awful thing to do you.)_   
_ _\- Kensi_

Deeks smiled as he read the letter over and over. He hoped that 2014 would give them a chance to keep their promises to each other.

 


	18. Home

Prompt from NavyStrong42099 - Kensi comes home

* * *

Deeks couldn't help but stare at her. She was fast asleep, laying on her side with her back to him. She was home and in his bed once again. After months of being separated, Deeks didn't want to miss anything, even if it was just to watch her sleep.

Then he decided that staring was not enough. He reached over and caressed her bare back as he dropped a kiss on her shoulder. She stirred and let out a soft groan.

"I was sleeping. Don't you feel sorry for me? I had a long plane ride and now you won't let me rest."

He chuckled. Even grumpy sleepy Kensi was irresistible to him.

"Hey, I can't help it. I missed you. Besides, it's not my fault you went all the way to the other side of the planet just to avoid talking about your feelings."

"Deeks, you're really pissing me off right now."

"Really? Because you don't sound that convincing."

"I hate you."

"I'm pretty sure you proved that you don't hate me just a couple hours ago."

She sighed and then rolled over to face him. She tried to look stern, but couldn't. Her face broke out into a smile right before she cuddled into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so glad to be home. Granger is not nearly as good at cuddling as you are."

"Kensi, sweetheart, you are amazing at so many things. But please stop trying to be funny. Your sense of humor is the only thing more terrifying than your laugh."

"But you like me anyway."

"I more than like you."

"I know. I more than like you, too."

 


	19. The box

Prompt from bookdiva - "What's in the box?"

* * *

"Why would you just throw it away?!"

"Kensi, would you just listen to me for a minute? I can explain..."

"I mean, I know I screwed up and forgot your birthday but I didn't think you'd still be mad at me for it."

"I'm not mad. Listen..."

"You just threw it away! I went to all that trouble and first you refused to even open it and now it's gone..."

"KENSI!"

She was stunned into silence. He figured he better speak up quickly before she started talking again. He took a few steps so he was standing right in front of her. He lifted his hand and placed it on her face.

"I threw it away because there's no way you got it right. It's impossible that what I want most could be in that box, because what I want most is standing right in from of me."

"Deeks..."

He leaned down and kissed her softly. She relaxed and brought her hands up to hold his face as she kissed him back.

He pulled back slightly and whispered to her. "Now do you understand?"

She smiled at him and nodded her head. "I can't believe you yelled at me."

"Hey, you left me no choice. I had to get you to shut up."

She rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her.

Deeks cleared his throat and spoke up. "So what was really in the box?"

"Plane tickets. I was going to take you to Australia but since you threw it away..."

"Shit. I better go find it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I must admit that this prompt was tough because of my inability to think of anything in the box that would live up to my expectations. So I decided to go with sweet and funny rather than a serious predication. I want to say thank you to Rebecca (YourSmileLaughEverything) for listening to my ramblings and for helping me with an idea for this. You're the best :)


	20. Being Max

Prompt from anon - While undercover, Deeks' dark side persona (i.e. Max Gentry) meets Kensi's dark side persona

* * *

"I know that's not really who you are."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know you."

"Really? Are you so sure? Then explain to me why it comes so easy? How can I just become this terrible human being? How do you know that the person you work with everyday is the real me... when I'm not even sure myself."

Kensi's heart broke for Deeks. They had just finished a long, grueling undercover assignment where he had to be Max Gentry again. She was with him this time as one of his associates. It was her job to appear just as dark and vicious as Max. She had to venture far from her true self for this cover and she didn't like it one bit. She was beginning to understand why this was so difficult for Deeks, why he hated being Max Gentry so much.

"Deeks... I don't know why it comes so easy. But the fact that it bothers you... the fact that you hate being Max so much... doesn't that count for something?"

She gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"If you were really like him... than why do you fight it so hard? Why do you devote yourself to stopping people like him?"

His expression softened and he gave her a slight smile.

"Deeks, when it comes to what kind of person you are, I don't have any doubts. And you shouldn't either."

"Wow... are actually being nice to me?"

She smiled. "Come on. Let's go get some food. That always cheers me up."

He genuinely laughed. The sound of it was music to Kensi's ears. It had been too long since she heard him laugh.

"I'm on the verge of an identity crisis here and your suggestion is to eat?"

"Of course. That'll fix anything."

He shook his head and pulled her in for a hug. "Thanks, partner. You're the best. I mean that."

"You're welcome, partner."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is probably not what this Anon had in mind when they sent me this prompt, but it's the best I could do. I don't write dark, angsty stuff very well, because I give myself too many feelings. I like writing happy Densi. Sorry, Anon. I hope you like this anyway :)


	21. Kensi confronts Hetty

Prompt from Ryan2009 - Kensi confronts Hetty about whether the reassignment was due her "thing" with Deeks.

* * *

"Miss Blye, so good to have you back."

"Thank you, Hetty. It's good to be home."

"I received a report from Assistant Director Granger on the exemplary work you did on your assignment."

"Oh... okay."

"Okay? Is there something bothering you?"

Kensi took a deep breath. "Well, yes. I couldn't help but wonder why you choose me. There were any number of agents who were just as, if not more, qualified than me. Some of them were already on location."

"Does it matter why?"

"Kind of. I just kept thinking that maybe it had something to do with me and Deeks. That maybe you sent me away because of..." Kensi struggled with her words. She wasn't sure how much Hetty knew about them.

"Your thing?"

"How did you..."

"Miss Blye, you want to know my motive for sending you on assignment and whether it had anything to do with your relationship with Mr. Deeks. Is that correct?"

"Well... yes."

"To answer your question: Yes. It did have something to do with my decision."

Kensi was floored. As much as she suspected this, she never thought Hetty would actually confirm it.

"Hetty... how could you? I mean, you couldn't have picked a worse possible time to send me away. Deeks and I were just starting to figure things out and you didn't even let me say good-bye to him. How could you punish me like that? How could you punish us like that when we didn't do anything wrong..."

Hetty held her hand up and Kensi stopped talking mid-sentence.

"Miss Blye... Kensi... Allow me to explain. I don't think you appreciate how difficult my job can be at times. I care about each and every person who I am responsible for. I need to make decisions that I believe are best for everyone and that will ensure the safety of everyone on this team. You say that you and Deeks were figuring things out? Well, that day, both of you had allowed your emotions to override your better judgement. First that morning when Mr. Deeks didn't take down a someone who was threatening you and then later in the day when you broke protocol and ran after your partner. Those two incidences led me to believe that you two were not figuring things out and it was putting the safety of this team at risk. I made the decision to send you on this mission because I felt you were qualified for the job and also because I felt you and Mr. Deeks needed time apart to gain perspective and to work out how to better control your emotions."

"So, does this mean that you don't want us to... be together?"

Hetty smiled. "No, not necessarily. I want you two to find a proper balance and to always have in mind the safety of the entire team. Believe it or not, I sincerely want you two to be happy. If being together makes you happy, then I fully support it. But you must always keep in mind the task at hand and the responsibilities of all those around you."

"Okay, I think I understand. I'm sorry for my outburst earlier. It was just... difficult... being away from him."

"I know. As it was for him. But I believe both of you made good use of your time apart and spent some much needed time in self-reflection."

"Hetty, do you think we can make it work?"

"Yes, I do. I must say that it won't be easy. But I have full confidence that you two will find a way."

* * *

**A/N:**   _Hetty's dialogue was inspired by[this post](http://dominicvail.tumblr.com/post/69632460867/because-i-liked-some-parallels-in-the-frozen-lake) on dominicvail's tumblr blog_


	22. Special trip

Prompt from ncisnewbie - Eric and Nell travel to someplace important to you.

* * *

"We're almost there. It's just a little further. Get ready for your mind to be blown."

Eric and Nell had traveled to San Francisco to assist in an investigation. When it turned out that they had completed their work ahead of schedule, Nell convinced Eric to take the long drive up to Humboldt Redwoods State Park. She had been there many years before with her family and she was eager to go there again. Eric, not being one who easily said no to Nell, happily went along for the ride.

"I don't know, Nell. We've already seen some pretty big trees. How is this one different from the others?"

"You'll see."

After a few more minutes of walking, they saw it right in front of them. There was the sign with the words "GIANT TREE" on it. And right next to it was a giant tree. The bark was a dark reddish brown and it had green moss growing on it. As their eyes drifted up, they became more and more amazed. The tree was so tall, they could not see the top of it through the canopy.

"Wow. Giant tree is not a very creative name, but it sure is fitting."

"Yeah, I can't believe how beautiful it is here."

They stood there, side by side, with their necks craned upwards, not saying anything for the longest time.

"Hey, Nell..." Eric reached over and took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Thank you for bringing me here."

She smiled. "You're welcome, Beale. We spend so much time staring at computer screens... this is nice. And I'm glad to be here with you."

 


	23. Sick Kensi

Prompt from Bea The Monster - 'Kensi gets the flu and Deeks takes the day off to take care of her"

* * *

"You know this is stupid, right? I can take care of myself. Hetty didn't need to send you here to babysit me."

"Kens, it was a slow day and you look like death warmed over. Can't you just let someone help you? You don't have to be Wonder Woman all the time."

"Deeks, you can go home. I don't need any help."

"Ok, sweetheart, how about I make a deal with you. If you can get off that couch and push me out the door, then I'll leave you to your sickly self. How's that sound?"

"No... I don't feel like it."

"Really? Because I think it's because you can't."

"I didn't say that."

"Okay, then it's because you want me here? Because you like it when I take care of you?"

"Whatever, Deeks."

"I'll take that as a yes. By the way, I brought you chicken soup from your favorite deli."

"Alright, you can stay."

"I knew the way to your heart was through your stomach."

Deeks poured the soup into a bowl and walked over to the couch. He handed Kensi the soup as he sat down on her coffee table. She stared at the bowl, not saying anything.

"Is everything alright, Kens?"

She looked up, gave him a small smile and spoke softly. "Thanks you for staying."

He returned her smile. "Anything for you, partner."

 


	24. Reunion

Prompt from sportygilr180 - Kensi and Deeks' Reunion

* * *

"So this is the Office of Special Projects. You glad to be back?"

"Very much. This has been home to me for a long time. I missed being here. A lot."

Kensi and Sabatino had complete their assignments in Afghanistan and just arrived back in Los Angeles. It was late at night and no one else appeared to be around the mission.

"I guess Hetty and Granger will be here soon." Kensi walked up to her desk and smiled.

"So, Kensi, listen. I was thinking that after we're done here that maybe we could go get a drink."

"I don't know. It's pretty late and I'm exhausted."

"Well, maybe some other time."

She couldn't believe that he was asking her out. This was not what she wanted to deal with right now.

"I don't think so."

"Come on, Kensi, it's just a drink between colleagues to celebrate a job well done..."

Kensi stopped listening when something caught her eye. Over his shoulder she saw someone walk in. Someone with shaggy blonde hair.

"Deeks." She called out his name and slipped past Sabatino, not caring that he was still talking. Deeks turned toward her when he heard her voice. Before he could react she had crossed the room and threw herself at him. She wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him as if her life depended on it. She buried her face in his neck as his arms drew her closer. They stood there, holding each other securely, as if they were the only two people in the world.

Sabatino soon figured out that he was the furthest thing from her mind and that drink was not going to happen. He turned and walked away, leaving the reunited partners be. He meant it last year when he said that he didn't want to get in the middle of something. And there was definitely something here.

 


	25. Deeks and Carla

Prompt from bookdiva - Deeks, Carla, episode 5x11

* * *

This was a close one. Thankfully, everything worked out the way they had planned. Zevlos was in custody. Carla was safe.

The whole thing troubled Deeks. Carla was willing to do anything for the man she loved. She cashed out her bank account and then went to him. But what did she think would happen? Did she think Zevlos would take her with him and they'd sail off into the sunset and live happily ever after? Before he was captured, he made it clear that wasn't his intention. He was planning on keeping her around as long as she was useful and not a minute longer.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to see him one more time. I was afraid I'd never see him again."

Deeks understood what drove her. She loved him and that was worth giving up everything. He quickly thought of Kensi. What would he be willing to do if it meant he got to see her again? What was he willing to part with in order to be with her? He knew immediately that he would have done the same thing Carla did. There's nothing he wouldn't have done... for Kensi.

But he knew their situations were not completely similar.

He lead her to his vehicle and guided her inside. Before he shut the door, he spoke up.

"I know why you wanted to see him again. I understand feeling desperate like that. How just the idea of never seeing him again is enough to drive you insane. I understand being willing to give it all up for someone you love. But you lost everything for someone who didn't really love you back. You were just a means for him to get what he wanted and nothing more. I'm sorry. You deserved better than that."

"I hope she's worth it."

"What was that?"

"I hope she's worth it. The one you'd give everything up for... if you were in my place. I hope she wouldn't let you down." Her gaze was downward and her voice had lost all the boldness it had before.

Deeks responded with quiet confidence. "I know she wouldn't." Then he shut the door.

 


	26. Maybe

Prompt from anon - Eric asks Nell out on a date

* * *

"So… you have any exciting plans this weekend?"

"Maybe."

Eric waited for her to elaborate, but she didn't. It really annoyed him when Nell did this. She was so cryptic sometimes that he thought she must be taking lessons from Hetty.

"Anyone you're going to hang out with?"

Nell narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what he was getting at. She knew that he wanted to say something, but he wouldn't just say it. She wished he would just come out with it.

"I don't know. I haven't heard from those guys that I met with Kensi and Rose awhile back. Maybe I'll see if one of them is free."

"Those guys? Those guys were losers."

"How do you know that? Maybe I liked them."

"You're saying 'maybe' a lot."

"And you have a lot of questions for me, but you're not really saying what's on your mind."

Eric had enough. "Nell, I think you're great. I love working with you everyday and I want to spend time with you… outside of work, too."

"Like a date?"

This was where Eric would normally backpedal. He was terrified to speak truthfully to her… but it was too late. "Yes… like a date."

"Well, why didn't you say so?"

"Is that a yes?"

"Maybe."

"Nell Jones, you are just as frustrating as you are beautiful."

Nell could feel heat rising in her face. "You think I'm beautiful?"

Eric smiled at her. "Maybe."

 


	27. Monty

Prompt from cricketjo - Kensi and Deeks fight about Monty

* * *

"Damn it, Monty!"

Both Deeks and his dog were startled by Kensi yelling. As she stormed into the living room, Monty tried hiding behind the couch.

"What's the matter, Kens? You're scaring Monty. And you're kind of scaring me. Actually, I can't tell if I'm scared or turned on…"

"Deeks, look." She held up a sneaker that had a hole chewed through it.

"He ate my shoe. Again. You know, you have to teach him that this is not okay. Monty can't get away with this stuff when we're living together."

"What? What did you say?"

"We can't let Monty get away with this stuff."

"No, not that part. You think about us living together?"

"Of course, I do. Don't you?"

"Yes, but… I didn't think you did."

"Why wouldn't I think about the future? Living together. Maybe getting married…"

"Maybe having a bunch of ninja assassins…"

"A bunch? Hold on there. These 'ninja assassins' will be part Deeks. I don't know if I can handle a bunch."

"I didn't hear an outright no. Maybe one… or two… or five…"

"Deeks, you can't even make your dog behave himself. How will you manage to keep five kids from running wild?"

He flashed his brilliant smile and pulled her into his arms. "I'll have your help. We can do anything together."

"How about we start with getting Monty to stop chewing up my shoes and then we'll take it from there?"

Deeks leaned down and kissed her. She dropped the shoe and wrapped her arms around his neck. Monty crept out from behind the couch and nudged Kensi's leg. She looked down at his dark eyes and expressive face.

"Aw, Kens, how can you stay mad at a face like that?"

Kensi smiled. "He has the same strategy for getting out of trouble as you do."

"It always works."

 


	28. Double date

Prompt from anon - Deeks and Kensi, Ray and Jenna, double date

* * *

"I can't believe you and Jenna have two kids now."

"I can't believe that Wikipedia still puts up with you."

"Hey, you've known me longer. Much longer and you still love me."

"Like I have a choice."

"Very funny, Ray."

"Hey, now that you two finally admitted that you have a thing, we should hang out. You and me and Kensi and Jenna. We could come to LA. It'll be like old times…"

"Don't even think about it, Ray. I shouldn't even be talking to you right now."

"But you promised me a phone call. You had to."

"Yeah, yeah, don't remind me."

"Well, since me coming to LA is out of the question, why don't you two come here sometime?"

"I don't know…"

"Come on, Marty. You owe me this. I had to relocate and change my whole life because of you."

"Yeah, but was your life so great before?"

"That's not the point. The point is that I'm responsible for you and Kensi getting together…"

"You? Explain this to me."

"I put the idea in your head."

Deeks laughed. "I don't think so."

"So you were lying when you said there was no thing."

"I was in denial. There's a difference."

"Bullshit. You owe me. Take a trip over here. Meet the family. Bring the girlfriend. Hell, bring Monty. We'll hang out. Let me take credit for the best thing that's ever happened to you. It'll be fun."

Deeks couldn't help up smile. "Okay, man. I'll see what I can do. I'll talk to Kensi."

"Great. Then we'll see you soon."

"Hey, I didn't make any promises."

"I know Wikipedia will be on my side with this one. She'll make it happen."

 


	29. Bond girl

Prompt from new adventures - Callen, Sam and Deeks discuss who would make the best Bond girl

* * *

"What about Scarlett Johansson? Or Zoe Saldana? Or Jennifer Lawrence? Or Beyonce?"

"Deeks, you've obviously thought about this a lot," said Sam.

"Wasn't Beyonce already a Bond girl?" asked Callen.

"No, she was in Austin Powers, G."

"Isn't that pretty much the same thing?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Are you sure about that?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Really, G? You're going to argue with me about this? I've seen every single Bond movie multiple times..."

"Fanboy." Deeks coughed.

"... and you've never even owned a television."

"That's not true."

"Okay. You had one. And then you took it apart in the middle of the night and couldn't get it back together."

"Yeah, TV is a waste of time anyway."

"You guys, I have some more ideas..."

They all stopped talking at once as Kensi walked into the bullpen.

"Hey, boys. Why are you all acting weird? Did I interrupt something?"

"No, we were just discussing who would be a good Bond girl. Deeks had a lot of suggestions..."

"That's not true! Kensi, don't believe him. I was saying that the best Bond girl there could possibly be is the beautiful, the talented, the deadly, my very own Kensi Marie Blye. Wasn't I just saying that?"

"Deeks, I heard everything you guys said."

"It's Sam's fault. He started."

"Don't blame this on me. I didn't twist your arm."

 


	30. Hurt

Prompt from cdl - Hurt at the same time

* * *

Kensi woke up in a fog. It was as though she forgot how to move her body. And then the pain hit her. She stopped trying to move and she just concentrated on trying to remember where she was and what happened to her.

_Warehouse. Deeks. Tripped wires. Countdown. Run. Deafening sound and blinding light and then..._

"Deeks." She used every ounce of her strength to say her partner's name and to open her eyes.

"I'm here, Kensi. Don't try to move."

She turned her head to the side and immediately regretted it.

"Ow!"

"You alright, Kens?"

"No... but I'm alive. You're alive... so that's good."

Deeks was sitting next to her hospital bed. He had stitches on the side of his face and his arm was in a sling.

"How long was I out?"

"About a day and a half. You got hit in the head pretty hard when that building decided to fall on us."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine." Worry was written all over his face.

"You've been sitting there the whole time?"

Deeks leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes and savored the feeling of him being close. They were together and they were safe.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, Kens." He whispered against her skin.

"Okay," she whispered back.

"Get some rest, partner. I'll be right here."

"Shouldn't you go get some rest, too?"

He smiled at her. "There's nowhere I'd rather be."


	31. Three cups of coffee

Prompt from bookdiva - Three cups of coffee on Deeks' desk from  _Frozen Lake_

* * *

Deeks sat down at his desk, looking at the cup in his hand. Then he looked up at the two on his desk. He didn't even remember that he already had coffee. Again.

_When did I get those? Am I losing it?_

His mind was a whirlwind of emotions and nervous energy. He couldn't stop himself from randomly stapling papers and shuffling folders and apparently pouring himself coffee that he didn't need.

_Okay, Deeks. Get your head in the game. This is just a normal day at work. Sam and Callen and especially Hetty can't know anything is different._

After all his years of undercover work, after all those assignments, after all those characters that he immersed himself in... this was going to be the one that stumped him. Pretending in front of his co-workers that last night didn't happen.

But how was he suppose to pretend that today was just another day? How was he suppose to pretend that Kensi was just his partner?

They smiled nervously at each other when they woke up. It was too late to talk about how they should handle this. She didn't even have time to go home and change her shirt. They agreed to arrive at OSP at different times and then they'd figure it out later. She even kissed him before leaving his apartment.

He stared at the three cups of coffee on his desk.

_I can't screw this up. This is all I want. She is all I want._

He heard Sam and Callen approaching. He said a silent prayer, hoping that they could just get through today... and then figure it all out later.

 


	32. He's my partner

Prompt from idristardis - Nell and Deeks, platonic hug (cuddles/hugs meme from tumblr)

* * *

"Nell, are you alright?"

She didn't answer Deeks. She didn't even look at him.

"Nellosaurus? Nelly?"

"Eric calls me Nelly sometimes."

"Is that what's bothering you?"

She turned to face him.

"Hetty's sending him out in the field… by himself. I'll be stuck at ops with no way to help him if something goes wrong."

"He won't be alone. Sam and Callen will be right there if he needs backup."

"The last time he went undercover he almost got killed."

"Nell, you know I can't promise that nothing will go wrong, but we will do everything we can to keep him safe."

"Deeks." Her voice broke. She was fighting back tears. "He's my partner."

He knew exactly what was going on in Nell's mind. His own partner was still thousands of miles away. He was powerless to help her if she needed him and that tormented him everyday.

"Come here." He reached out and pulled her in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. "Eric is smart and Sam and Callen are the best at what they do."

"I know. I can't help but worry. You know what I mean?"

Deeks smiled and rested his head on top of hers. "Yes. I know exactly what you mean."

 


	33. Tell you something

Prompt from hermionesmydawg - Kensi and Deeks, sleepy and post-sex (cuddles/hugs meme from tumblr)

* * *

"Deeks."

"Hmmm… what?"

"I was talking to you. Are you sleeping?"

"I was."

"Oh… "

"Can you blame me? After that performance I put forth for you, I'll probably need to sleep for a week."

"Deeks."

"Actually, you should be exhausted, too. You were pretty amazing as well. Was that something new that you just thought up because you should definitely do that thing again…"

"Deeks."

"What?"

"… nothing. Forget about it. Just go back to sleep."

"Are you mad? Did I do something?"

"No… I was just trying to tell you something. It can wait. Go back to sleep."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It's fine." Kensi kissed him gently on the cheek and then rested her head back on his shoulder. She lightly traced her fingers on his chest as she felt his arm tighten around her. They cuddled together in silence. Just as she thought he was asleep again, she heard his voice.

"Kens?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, too."

Kensi scrunched her face in that way when she didn't know whether to kiss him or punch him. She decided on the former.

 


	34. Late tomorrow

Prompt from littlemartys - Kensi and Deeks, post-sex (cuddles/hugs meme from tumblr)

* * *

The slow, open-mouthed kisses she was placing on his chest were not helping to slow his racing heartbeat.

"Kensi…"

She looked up at him and smiled. Her hair was a tangled mess. Her face was flushed. She was gorgeous. The satisfied look on her face was one that he only saw at times like this. He loved the fact that only he got to see her this way. He brought his hand up to her face and she leaned into his touch. He then threaded his fingers through her hair and brought her lips to his. Their kisses started soft and sweet, then grew more intense.

"Deeks." She managed to say between kisses.

"Hmmm." He couldn't stop. He could not get enough of her.

"Deeks, we have to get up early in the morning…" Her voice trailed off as he left a line kisses from her jaw, down her neck.

"Hey, you started it. You're obviously the insatiable one. And I can't blame you when you sleep next to this every night."

She laughed. "You're unbelievable."

"That's what I've been told. In fact… by you… not even two minutes ago…" He was kissing her between words. The scruff from his face was causing her to shiver. She placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him up so their eyes could meet. She couldn't help but smile.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt if we were late tomorrow."

"It won't be the first time we've been late for the same reason. People will start wondering…"

"Shut up and kiss me."


	35. Sleepy Kensi

Prompt from sunshineandcherryblossom - Kensi and Deeks, sleepy (cuddles/hugs meme from tumblr)

* * *

"Kensi?"

"What?"

"We should go to bed."

"Why?"

"Because you're falling asleep on top of me."

"But why would I get up just to go to sleep? I can sleep right here."

"Because if you fall asleep here, I'll be stuck under you."

"I don't want to get up."

"You're really unreasonable when you're tired. You know that, right?"

"Shhhh. I'm trying to sleep."

Deeks chuckled and shook his head. He knew that it was too late to argue with her. He turned the TV off, reached for the blanket on the back of the couch and covered them both with it. He wrapped his arms around her, kissed her on top of her head, and closed his eyes.

This was not the first time this has happened. Not even close. She would watch TV with him on the couch until she was too tired to move. Content using him as her pillow, she would trap him there for the night. The thought crossed his mind that he should probably be annoyed, being forced to sleep on the couch when there was a perfectly comfortable bed in the other room. But when he thought about the amazing, stubborn, beautiful, sleepy woman in his arms. He's grateful to be anywhere as long as it's with her.

 


	36. Promise

Prompt from hermionesmydawg - Kensi and Deeks, bear hugs (cuddles/hugs meme from tumblr)

* * *

"Kensi!"

"I'm over here, Deeks!"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. The bullet just grazed my arm. Not a big deal."

"Sam said he thought you had been shot..."

"It looked like it from where he was standing, but I'm fine."

Deeks heart was racing. Over the coms he had heard gunshots and Sam saying that Kensi was down. Even though she was obviously safe, even though she was alive and well, he couldn't calm his nerves. He was still so focus on his worst nightmare possibly coming true that his mind couldn't believe what was right in front of him. So he did the only thing he could think of to convince himself that she was okay.

He wrapped his arms around her and held on tight.

"Deeks! What are you doing?"

"Just... just give me a second, okay?" He whispered to her. He pressed his face against her hair and breathed her in, smelling more gunpowder than anything else.

When she realized what he was doing and what was going through his mind, Kensi relaxed. He hugged him back and spoke softly to him. "It's okay, Deeks. I'm okay. I'm still here."

He leaned back slightly and looked over her face. He felt like he was finally able to breathe easy. He gave her a slight smile.

"Promise me you'll never do that."

She smiled back as she remembered making him promise the same thing. "Okay."

"Okay."

 


	37. Agent Deeks

Prompt from hermionesmydawg - Deeks leaves the team for NCIS agent training

* * *

"I hate that you'll be gone, but I'm glad that you're doing this."

"Me, too. It's about time."

"I can't believe Hetty gave you those papers and you didn't say anything to me about it."

"I had to think about it."

"That was almost four years ago, Deeks."

"Yeah, time flies when you're having fun. And by fun, I mean getting shot at by bad guys, saving the world, looking good while doing it."

Kensi smiled and shook her head.

"What made you decide to finally take the plunge?"

"Well... honestly, here at NCIS... it's the first time in a long time that I've felt like I belong somewhere. Like I have a family. I think it's time I made it official."

She blinked rapidly, trying to hide any sign of emotion in her face. "I'm going to miss you."

"Really? I'm going to miss you, too. Don't get a new partner while I'm gone."

She took a few steps towards him. Placing one hand on his face, she leaned up and kissed him gently on the cheek. She looked him in his perfect blue eyes, amused by the shocked expression on his face.

"Never. You've ruined me for all other partners, you know?"

"Wow. If I knew you'd be this nice to me, I would have signed those papers a long time ago."

"Don't get used to it, Deeks."

"I think I'll start making you call me Agent Deeks from now on. Just plain Deeks... that's not going to cut it anymore."

"Are you annoying me on purpose so I won't be sad that you're leaving?"

He smiled at her and pulled her in for a hug. "Don't worry, Fern. I'll be back."


	38. I'm sorry

Prompt from idristardis - Kensi and Deeks, hugs from behind (cuddles/hugs meme from tumblr)

* * *

Kensi entered the gym and found Deeks, staring up at the climbing wall. She took a deep breath and walked toward him. He heard her approaching, but he didn't turn around.

They had an argument. Normally when they would bicker, it was no big deal. He would joke about it, laugh it off, shake his head, babble incessantly. But this time she knew she went to far. This time he was quiet. For a brief moment his face revealed just how much she had hurt him… and then he walked away.

She messed up and she didn't know how to fix it. Give her an engine to rebuild or a plane to hot-wire or a vehicle to track in the middle of the desert. She knew how to solve those problems. But this… she wasn't good with expressing herself. So she did the first thing that popped into her mind.

She slid her arms around his waist and rested her forehead on his back. She was thankful that he didn't try to brush her off.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He didn't say anything at first. This would have worried her, but she took comfort in the fact that he was relaxing into her touch. He brought his hands up and ran his fingers along her arms.

"I'm sorry," she said again. The words just seemed so inadequate, but it was all she could manage.

He turned around in her arms and brought his hand up to her face. His smile let her know that he understood all she was trying to communicate.

"I can't stay mad at you, Fern."

"Good, because I know I'll probably make you mad again some time."

"Probably?"

She shook her head and smiled.


	39. Hurt - Deeks' perspective

Prompt from typingtess - Hurt (Chapter 30) from Deeks' perspective

* * *

_I hate hospitals._

Even as this thought crossed his mind he knew it was stupid. Everyone hates hospitals. No one likes being in one.

But his experiences were different than most. More frequent. More traumatic. He remembered being in and out of the emergency room with his mother. Oftentimes one or both of them were the victims of his father's drunkenness. He remembered being shot. He remembered Renko being shot. He remembered pushing away doctors as they were trying to look in his mouth while his senses were telling him he was still in danger.

Yeah, he hates hospitals. And for good reason. Especially now.

Now, he's sitting in a chair with his arm in a sling and stitches on the side of his face. Next to him is his partner, covered in cuts and bruises. She's been unconscious for almost two days and he has not moved from his place beside her. Others have tried convincing him to go home and get some rest... but there was no chance of that happening. Even if he did go home, his mind and his heart would still be here. If he was going to endure sleeplessness, it might as well be where he could still see her.

_It should be me in that bed. It should be me unconscious, fighting for my life. How did I walk away from that building, but she had to be carried out?_ He had been hurt as well... but nothing compared to his partner.

He closed his eyes and tried to push worst-case scenarios from his mind.  _Come on, Kens. You've never given up on anything in your life. Please, wake up._

Then he heard a soft voice that made his heart race.

"Deeks."

"I'm here, Kensi."


	40. Valentine's Day

Prompt from hermionesmydawg - Valentine's Day

* * *

"What in the world is that?"

Deeks had arrived at Kensi's house and handed her the bag that contained their dinner. Then he picked up a large item covered in a sheet and walked inside.

"This is your Valentine's Day present, Kensalina."

"Deeks, we didn't talk about getting anything for each other! I didn't... I thought we were just going to have a relaxing dinner together."

"Don't worry about it. I wanted to surprise you. Plus, you're all I need."

He winked at her as she rolled her eyes. Then he set her present down in the middle of her living room. His excitement was obvious as he grinned at her.

"Well, go ahead and do the honors."

She lifted up the sheet and underneath was a bookcase, about four feet high.

"I made it for you."

"You... you did what?" She looked at it closer. It was simple in design and beautifully put together. It was stained with a perfectly even dark mahogany finish.

"I made it for you. Well, that's not entirely true. I had to ask Sam for help a couple times, but I did most of it by myself. This wasn't something I got at IKEA and just threw together. I built this baby from scratch."

"You must have been planning this for awhile."

"Well, you said you like it when a guy can build something so I figured..."

He didn't get to finish what he was saying. Kensi threw her arms around his neck and kissed him mid-sentence. He smiled against her lips, amused by her enthusiastic response. Then he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.

They separated, but he kept his face close to her. "Wow. I should have tried this a long time ago. You  _do_  get turned on by a guy who can build things with his hands."

"I already knew that you're good with your hands." She blushed and smiled at him.

Deeks laughed and brought his hand up to her face. "So you like it?"

"I love it. Thank you. This is the best present ever." She was overwhelmed by the thought and the effort he put into this gift. She couldn't believe that he remembered that conversation from over a year ago.

"So, how many mojitos did you drink after you were done?"

"A lot and I deserved every single one. This thing almost kicked my ass, but I wasn't giving up. Now the only problem is we have to get you some books to put on it."

She smiled as she leaned forward and kissed him again.


	41. Risk

Prompt from NavyStrong42099 - Deeks is mad at Kensi for taking an unnecessary risk during a case

* * *

Deeks was following Kensi into the boat shed. "I can't believe you just ran in like that. You could have been hurt. Or worse."

She sighed. "It all worked out fine. We're both fine. I don't know why you're so upset."

"Because I had everything under control."

"That's interesting, because to me it looked like you were about to get your head blown off. You should be thanking me for saving your ass, not scolding me."

'Kensi, that was an unnecessary risk and you shouldn't..."

"Deeks! Don't you dare tell me that I shouldn't have taken that risk. You were in trouble and I had to help you. If our roles were reversed, you would have done the same thing and no amount of arguing on my part would have stopped you!"

He was speechless. She had practically yelled at him and there was an intensity that flashed in her eyes.

Her voice got much softer, almost a whisper. "You are my partner. I can't let anything happen to you."

Deeks took a deep breath and let it out. He walked up to her. "Um... I'm sorry. You're right. I would have done the same thing."

She gave him a small smile, breaking the tension in the room.

He decided to push his luck a little bit. "You know, I can't help but think that you can't let anything happen to me because then your life wouldn't be worth living."

"Deeks..."

"No, I'm serious. How boring would your life be if I wasn't around anymore?"

"You're an idiot."

"I know. And thank you... you know... for saving my ass."

"Anytime, partner. I know you'd do the same for me..." She let out a small chuckle. "Because you couldn't live without me."

He laughed and shook his head. "Touché."

 


	42. Surprise

Prompt for yoursmilelaugheverything - Surprise

* * *

Deeks was cleaning his gun after target practice when he received a text message from Hetty.

_Meet me in the burn room. Immediately._

He teased Hetty about him being her favorite. He knew that his operations manager had a soft spot in her heart for him. However, this didn't stop him from being concerned upon reading this message.

He replied:  _Oh no what did I do now?_

_No questions. Just do what I say._

Now, he was past concerned and moving on to paranoid. He was racking his brain, trying to think of what he had done to offend Hetty. He wondered if he should tell someone where he was going, just in case he was never heard from again.

Deciding it was best to get this over with, he headed towards the burn room.

He started babbling as he walked in. "Listen, Hetty. I don't know what you heard, but I'm innocent. I've been set up. Hetty?"

No one else was there. Suddenly, the lights shut off and the door slammed shut. Before he could process what happened, he felt someone approach him from behind and a pair of arms wrap around his neck.

"Guess who?" He knew that voice anywhere, even if it had been a long time since he heard it in person.

"Kensi?"

She backed up as he turned around. Then the lights came back on.

And there she was.

After months of not seeing her, with only occasional phone calls to hold them over... she was right there in front of him.

She gave him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. "Surprise."

He laughed out loud and then stepped forward, drawing her into his arms. He held her tight and ran his hands up and down her back. He rested his face on the side of her head, breathing in sunshine and gunpowder. She wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him as if her life depended on it.

He finally leaned back enough to look at her, but still kept her in his embrace.

"Surprise, indeed. Very sneaky involving Hetty. Are you... are you done over there? Are you back for good."

She nodded. "Yes. It's done. And I'm not going anywhere else for a really, really long time."

"Well, at least not without your partner." He knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he didn't care, not in the slightest. "I'm definitely not letting you out of my sight again."

She brought her hands up to his face and gently pulled his head down so she could rest her forehead on his.

"Deeks, I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too."

"Um... we still have a lot to talk about."

"Yeah, we do. Does that scare you?"

"A little bit... but I hated being away from you. I want nothing more than to figure our thing out."

"I like the sound of the that."

He leaned forward and kissed her. This was definitely the best surprise ever.

 


	43. Communication

Prompt from RgjIrishdancr - Nell and Deeks on a stakeout. Brotherly/sisterly teasing ensues.

* * *

Nell sighed. "How long has it been now?"

Deeks chuckled. "About five minutes more than the last time you asked me that."

"It's been hours and nothing's happened."

"Field work isn't always glamorous and exciting. It's actually kind of nice to not always get shot at or have to chase someone down the street. Plus it gives me a chance to hang out with my friend Velma."

"I assumed you'd rather be partnered with Kensi for this... now that she's back."

"There's enough of me to go around." Deeks smiled when he noticed her rolling her eyes.

"So... how are you two doing?"

"Fine."

"Fine? Just fine?"

"What's wrong with fine? It's better than 'not fine.'"

"I swear, I thought you were just bad at communicating with Kensi, but apparently it's a problem no matter who you're talking to."

"You know, you claim me and Kensi are such terrible communicators..."

"You are! You two are the worst. How long did it take for you to finally say how you felt about each other?"

"Yeah, but we've been working at that."

"Wow. Really? That's incredible. It's only taken three years."

"Hey, you're not one to talk."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm pretty sure there's someone that you have trouble communicating with."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? What about a certain gentleman named... Eric Beale?"

"Eric?! I... I don't know what you're talking about."

"Nell, you really need to work on being a better liar. It's a valuable skill that will help you when you're undercover. Also, you wouldn't have just given away the fact that you lo-"

"Deeks, don't you dare finish that sentence!"

Deeks laughed. "Whatever you say. I've seen what you can do with a knife."

They were quiet for a while, waiting and watching for their suspect.

"Just out of  _pure_  curiosity... how would one who was having trouble communicating with someone... start communicating?"

"Pure curiosity?"

"Yes... in case I have a friend who needs help."

"Well, you tell your friend that they can talk to me anytime."

 


	44. Ten

Prompt from blue dogs rock - Callen

* * *

It had been a long day.

To be fair, most of Callen's days were long. But this one was up there. From OSP to Mexico City to going dark to a "not so safe" safe house, he'd lost count of the number of times he was in a room full of people wanting to kill him.

Normally, he would go home and enjoy the calm and the quiet. He'd reflect on the day, thankful that is wasn't his last, but confident that he'd have no regrets even if it had been.

But not today. Today he found himself outside the house of a woman he just met last night, knocking on her door. She greeted him with a shy smile, but her eyes gave away her excitement at seeing him.

"Hey, there. How was your day?"

"Fine. Although, Sam wouldn't stop bothering me about last night."

"Really?"

"He was dying to know how it went, what I thought of you, what number I'd give you."

"Number?"

"Yeah... you know... one through ten?"

"And what did you say?"

"I didn't tell him anything. I knew it would drive him crazy."

"He was texting me, too, but I didn't respond."

"So you didn't give him a number?" Callen grinned, remembering Sam and Deeks apparently looking at a text that wasn't actually there.

"No. It was too much fun imagining him checking and rechecking his phone for my answer."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you. But we are going to have to tell him eventually."

"And why is that?"

"Well, it's only a matter of time before Michelle starts asking."

Joelle tried to suppress a smile. "You're afraid of Michelle, aren't you?"

"Come on, she's pretty scary. You can't blame me. Even Sam's afraid of her."

"Alright. We have to tell them soon. But we can have fun messing with them a little longer, can't we?"

Callen laughed as he pulled her into his arms. She was a surprise in every sense of the word. He wasn't expecting to be set up on a blind date last night. He wasn't expecting to be so taken with this gorgeous redhead. He wasn't expecting to be so excited to see her at the end of the day. He found himself wondering when and if he should tell her the truth about... everything. He pushed that thought from his mind, knowing it was too soon to think about that right now.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered against his lips. "So... what number would you give me?"

"Ten. All day long."

 


	45. Donald Blye

Prompt from anon - Deeks has a "talk" with Kensi's dad. Ghost/hallucination/dream/etc... you decide.

* * *

**A/N:** _AU. Donald Blye is still alive. Everything else is the same._

* * *

"I wanted to talk to you about Kensi, sir."

Deeks found Donald Blye sitting in his favorite chair on his front porch. He was writing in his journal, a habit that he never was able to break even after his military days were over.

He set his journal aside. "I think I have an idea of what this is about."

"You do?"

"Do you want to know what my first impression of you was?"

"Um... I'm not sure if I do, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway."

"I thought you needed a haircut and a shave. I thought that you didn't take your job seriously. I certainly did not like the inappropriate comments and the jokes."

Deeks wondered how hard he would have to concentrate in order for the ground to just open up and swallow him.

"But... I'm smart enough to know that I shouldn't judge a book by its cover. The first time that Kensi told me that you saved her life, I was grateful. The second time, I was beyond grateful. Now, I've lost count and I can genuinely say that you have been an invaluable person in my daughter's life. You have no idea how much your partnership has meant to me. I know your job is dangerous and I also know that Kensi is an adult and she's very capable at her job. But knowing that you have proven yourself time and time again to watch out for her... I have no words to describe how thankful I am for that."

"Thank you, sir. She does the same for me. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for her. She's important to me and that's why I wanted to talk to you..."

"And do you want to know what I thought when you two became more than just partners?"

"Um..." Deeks was thinking about the ground again.

"You are not the person I would have picked for Kensi."

"Oh... I'm sure you would have liked her to be with a Marine instead."

"Maybe. But, again, I don't judge books by their covers. She was already with someone who I would have considered... perfect. Respectful, straight-laced, very similar personalities and interests. But... he left. He broke my daughter's heart and I don't take kindly to that. As different as you are, I knew you would never do that to her. It's not in your character. I knew that if I could trust you to watch out for Kensi as her partner, then I could trust you to treat her right as your relationship changed."

"Wow... I don't know what to say..."

Donald gave him a slight smile. "Say what you came here to say."

Deeks took a deep breath and steadied himself. "I want to marry your daughter."

"I couldn't have picked out anyone better for her. And I don't say that lightly."

"Thank you, sir."

"Maybe since you're about to be family soon, we can stop being so formal."

Deeks laughed. "She hasn't said yes yet."

"She will. She's a smart girl and she knows you're good for her. Now, I don't know if you want to call me  _dad_... but how about you try  _Don_  instead of  _sir_?"

"I'd like that, Don."

 


	46. Where's Monty?

Prompt from bookdiva - Where was Monty when Kensi stopped by Deeks' apartment?

* * *

Kensi got up to throw away the containers and to put the unopened beer bottles in Deeks' refrigerator. She tried to be as quiet as possible, but he stirred awake as she was pulling her boots back on.

"Hey, there. Sorry, I was trying to let you sleep."

"It's okay. I probably shouldn't sleep on the couch anyway. At least not anymore."

"You think you'll be able to sleep tonight?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Okay. I'll leave you be."

"Thanks for stopping by. About all your messages..."

"Don't worry about it, Deeks. You don't need to explain."

"I'm... I'm still sorry though."

She nodded. It hurt that he had shut her out. Weeks went by without hearing from him. In the three years they had been partners, this was the longest she had gone without seeing him. And she didn't like it one bit.

She attempted to change the subject. "So... where's Monty?"

"I... um... I just couldn't take care of him right now. You know, it wasn't fair to him. He's at the kennel for now... until I can get it together."

"You know... I would have taken him if you needed help."

"I didn't want to bother you." That was a lie. He knew that Kensi would have taken Monty in a heartbeat. She loves that scruffy mutt and she would have jumped at the chance to help him in whatever way she could. But the truth was... he just didn't want to see her.

Actually, he didn't want her to see him.

"Well, I meant what I said before. That I'm here for you. For whatever you need."

Deeks normally would have jumped all over that last line. Part of her was waiting for him to throw in some innuendo or at the very least flash a mischievous grin at her. But there was nothing. It hurt to see him like this... but not as much as not seeing him at all.

She walked to the door and he followed her.

"Thanks for bringing the food and the beer. This was... nice."

"You're welcome." She lifted her hand and slowly brought it up to the left side of his face. She was expecting him to flinch or back away. Much to her relief, he didn't. She placed her hand on his face and held his gaze. There was so much she wanted to say to him... so much she wanted to communicate. But she couldn't. Not right now.

"Good night, Deeks. I'll come find you again if you avoid my calls."

He gave her a slight smile and she considered it a victory. "Good night, Kens."

 


	47. Brave

Prompt from anon - Nell gets frustrated with Eric when he's not answering her straightly about how he feels about her.

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

"I just want to talk."

"Well, you certainly didn't want to talk before!"

"Nell, I don't want to fight. Can I come in? I want to make this right."

She turned around in a huff. Eric ventured inside, assuming that it was okay since she didn't slam the door in his face.

"Look, I know you're upset with me, because I didn't answer you, but you can't really blame me for that."

Nell's eyes flashed with anger. "I can't blame you? I try to be honest with you and open up to you and ask you how you feel about me and you do nothing but awkwardly babble in return? How can you say I can't blame you?"

"Please, try and understand. I feel like every other day, you give me different signals. One day you're leaning on me for support and I feel this amazing connection with you. And the next, you're completely shutting me out. Can you blame me for being afraid to be honest with you? For not knowing how to respond to you sometimes?"

Nell's expression softened. She was quiet for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry. I guess I was afraid, too. I was afraid that I was reading into something... that wasn't really there."

"I'm sorry, too. I know I can... as you said before 'awkwardly babble' instead of act like a normal person. You're one of the few people who I feel like I can be myself around. But even then, being completely honest can still be scary. Hence, awkward babble instead of real communication."

"Maybe it's time we both try being brave."

"Nell..." She looked up and met his gaze. "Ask me again."

She took in a deep breath. If she was to trust anyone, she knew it was him. "Do you think... there could be something between us? More than just partners and friends?"

Eric stepped forward and brought his hands up to gently hold her face. He leaned down and captured her lips. She relaxed into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He broke the kiss and smiled at her.

It was Nell's turn to awkwardly babble. "So... um... since I don't see any mistletoe around... could I take that as a yes?"

 


	48. Jealous

Prompt from Emily1616 - Jealous Deeks

* * *

"Monty looks so sad."

"You're just imagining things. He's fine."

"I thought he'd be happy to be home and to see us, but he's just pouting."

"Maybe he's tired. Nell said she took him to the beach and to the dog park and she played fetch with him everyday."

"Oh, now I see how it is."

"What are you talking about?"

"She turned him against me. She spoiled him rotten while we were gone and now he wants nothing to do with me!"

Kensi tried to hid her smile, but was doing a very bad job. It's a good thing she's better at masking her thoughts while undercover than she was at hiding her amusement from Deeks right now.

"Is this funny to you? Are you enjoying this?"

"It depends. Are you jealous because you think Monty likes Nell more than you now?"

"No... of course not... That would be ridiculous..."

She laughed and then wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Don't worry about it. I'll always like you more than Nell."

He smiled and pulled her closer. "Really? What if she bought you a case of Twinkies?"

"Hmmm... Maybe then I'd have to think about it."

 


	49. Favorite show

Prompt from ncisnewbie - watching TV on a Tuesday night

* * *

A commercial came on and Kensi sighed. "This show is so unrealistic. That's not how you hold a gun. And that's certainly not how you clear a room."

"Then why are we watching it? You know these police dramas are all the same. They never get those details right."

"Yeah, I know… I just…"

"You just what?"

"I just like the two partners. I think they're cute together."

"Really?" Now Deeks was interested. "Tell me more about how you think partners are cute and should be together."

"I didn't say  _all_  partners. Just these two."

"Okay. Whatever you say."

Deeks got up to get two more beers from the kitchen. He sat down and handed one to Kensi.

"You know…" Deeks gave her a teasing smile. "I should get a job on this show. Then you'd  _really_  like me."

"That's hilarious. Like you could be on TV with a face like that."

"You can tease all you want, but this face was meant to be seen."

"You know what? You're right. But I don't think you have the face of a leading man. I know, you could be an extra. You'd be a perfect homeless person. Or a janitor! You've had plenty of practice with both."

"I know you think I'm gorgeous and you're just masking your adoration for me with your sad attempt at humor."

"Shut up. The shows back on."

 


	50. Favorite shirt

Prompt from XoxMountainGirlxoX - Deeks saves Kensi

* * *

Kensi found Deeks sitting in the back of the ambulance. A paramedic was cleaning a bullet wound on his side.

"You'll be fine, but you should go to the hospital to get some stitches."

"Alright, thanks, man."

Deeks saw her approach. "Hey, Kens. Look, that jerk ruined my favorite shirt."

The blue v-neck was one Kensi loved, too. She would feel a strange flutter in her stomach when he wore it. If it was possible, it made his eyes seem even more blue. (She loved his eyes, too, but she was too stubborn to admit any of this out loud.)

That bullet was meant for her. Deeks saw the gunman before she did and reacted quickly. He pushed her out of the way, the bullet grazing his side in the process.

"Deeks… you could have been seriously hurt or worse. It's just a shirt."

"Just a shirt? How can you say that? I look amazing in this thing."

Her mind had been a storm of what ifs and worst case scenarios. She was annoyed that he didn't seem to be taking the gravity of the situation seriously.

He noticed the torment on her face. "You okay, partner?"

"Deeks, you were shot. You could have been… and you're asking if I'm okay?"

"Yeah. I know you love this shirt, too."

He was doing it again. Kensi was trying to be serious, but he wasn't letting her. Against her efforts, the last comment broke whatever tension she was feeling and suddenly she just couldn't be annoyed anymore. She finally smiled.

"You're an idiot sometimes. You know that, right?"

"Hey, I must be moving up in your book. You used to think I was an idiot  _all_  the time."

Now he had her laughing. Then she was overwhelmed by another emotion: gratitude.

"Um… thank you, Deeks. If you didn't see him when you did…"

"That's okay, partner. It's what I'm here for."

"I just hate that you got hurt because of me."

"Hey, stop it." He reached over and grabbed her hand. "It was totally worth it."

There was that fluttering in her stomach again.

"Maybe I'll buy you a new shirt to show my thanks."

He gave her a mischievous smile. "I knew you loved this shirt."

 


	51. Hurt - part 3

Prompt from mockingjaylane - follow up to Hurt (chapters 30 and 39)

* * *

"Do you need anything?"

"Could you make the room stop spinning?"

Kensi's journey from the car to the living room couch completely drained her. Deeks smiled and sat down next to her.

"Sorry, partner. It sounds like you just need to take it easy for a little while longer."

"That's so annoying."

"What?"

"I hate taking it easy. That's all they told me in the hospital. And now I get to be home… just so I can take it easy here."

"Kens, I think you deserve to take some time and heal. You were hurt pretty bad."

"You think I don't know that? I was there when it happened. Remember?"

As soon as she saw the look on his face, she regretted snapping at him. They sat in awkward silence for a little while.

"Um… you should probably get some rest. Maybe I should go…"

"No." She reached out and grabbed his arm as he moved to stand up. She tried to ignore the screaming pain in her head at the sudden movement. "Please, don't go."

Their eyes met and he told her so much without having to say a word. He hadn't been hurt like she had. His stitches were gone and his arm was already out of the sling. But she saw in his eyes the hell he had been through.

He reached up and gently held her cheek.

"You scared the hell out of me, Kensi." He spoke softly. "I was so afraid that…" He couldn't finish his thought, but he didn't have to.

She brought her hand up and placed it over his. "Thank you for being there when I woke up."

"Thank you for waking up."

He leaned forward and gently brushed his lips against hers. The kiss was brief, but it made her heart race.

She smiled. "Um… the room started spinning again."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and I think it's your fault this time."

"You want me to stop?"

"No."

He kissed her again, softly and lingering. He pulled back too soon, knowing that she had still not recovered enough for the kiss he wanted to give her. They couldn't help but smile.

"You must be really glad that I woke up."

"Yeah, I am… but this…" He gently ran his thumb along her lower lip. "This isn't just because I'm glad you're alright."

"I know. Me too."

 


	52. Really

Prompt from anon - "Really, Deeks? Really?!"

* * *

"Really, Deeks? Really?!"

"It's not for you. You do know that, right?"

"I know that! I'm not an idiot."

"I'm just making sure."

"In what universe would I think you were actually going to propose to  _me_?"

"I don't know. You just got really excited when you saw the ring."

"Because it's exciting! You're going to propose and Kensi has no idea and it's going to be awesome!"

"Shhhhh! Take it down a notch. I don't want everyone in LA to hear you."

Deeks had dragged Nell into the burn room the first chance he got. She started squealing as soon as she saw the black velvet box he pulled out of his pocket. She had to cover her mouth when he opened it to show her the ring inside (although that didn't stop her from expressing her enthusiasm).

"Seriously, Deeks, you did a great job picking this out. Kensi's going to love it."

Deeks looked down at the ring, his brow furrowed.

"Deeks? You alright?"

"Yeah… Of course… I'm fine. I mean, this is really happening. I really bought this ring and I'm going to ask her to marry me. She'll be happy… right?"

The reality of this situation was settling on him and his excitement was turning into nervousness. Nell smiled and touched his arm.

"She'll be happy because you make her happy and because she loves you and because you two are perfect for each other."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Trust me, I have the highest IQ in this place."

"Don't let Eric hear you say that."

"Eric knows I'm smarter even if he'll never admit it."

Deeks laughed. "Well, thanks, Velma. If she says yes, I might even ask you to be my best man."

"She will say yes, and it's best woman, Shaggy. And don't you even joke about that because I won't let you can't take it back!"

 


	53. Christmas party

Prompt from XoxMountainGirlxoX - Nell welcomes the team home (Post "Free Ride")

* * *

"Nell, this is great. Thanks for putting this all together."

In the team's absence, Christmas just was not the same. Eric tried to cheer her up as much as possible (even going so far as dressing like an elf), but she decided she needed to to something about it. After their first case of the New Year was finished, Nell had arranged an OSP party.

"Thanks, Kensi. I was sad that we couldn't celebrate together. So I figured why not just a little later?"

"Yeah, it wasn't the same for us either. Not all being together."

"So, did you miss going to Lake Tahoe with Deeks?"

Kensi rolled her eyes. "I don't know if I really would have gone with him."

"Why not?"

"We're partners. It'd be weird to go on trips like that with him when we work together."

"You know, Kensi, I really missed everyone when you were gone. I realized that you guys are not just my co-workers. You are my friends. The type of work we do makes it so that we can't really be ourselves around anyone, even our family. So in a way, you know me better than anyone. Wouldn't it make sense that you're closer to Deeks that anyone else in your life?"

"I guess so."

"Then why would it be weird to spent time with him like that?"

Kensi was relieved to see Deeks approach, so this conversation could end. Deeks had asked her before what she was so afraid of. It was a lie when she answered that she wasn't afraid of anything. This line of questioning from Nell and the thoughts and feelings it would reveal to herself and to others… that terrified her.

Deeks wrapped his arm around Nell's shoulder. "Nell, great party. But it's too bad you took down the mistletoe. Eric was telling me that he really liked having it up there."

"Oh no…"

 


	54. Bad Dream

Prompt from anon - Densi family

* * *

Deeks was drifting in and out of consciousness when he heard soft footsteps coming towards him. He opened his eyes and in the low light saw a head of messy curly hair right next to his bed.

"Hey there, baby girl." He spoke softly. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"I'm scared."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I had a dream."

He reached out and smoothed her unruly hair. "Do you want to want to stay here tonight?"

He saw her curls bounce up and down as she nodded her head. He lifted the covers. She climbed over him and snuggled securely between her mom and dad.

"You feel better?"

"Uh huh."

"You know you have nothing to be afraid of... except mommy's snoring. That's pretty scary."

He heard soft giggling that let him know her nightmare was forgotten.

"Shhhh. We don't want to wake her. Mommy's cranky when she wakes up and that's pretty scary, too."

"Too late." He heard Kensi murmur.

"Don't worry, daddy. I'll protect you."

"That's my girl."

 


	55. Trust

Prompt from anon - Kensi gets hurt protecting Deeks

* * *

_You know you can't trust him._

When Monica told her this, she knew she was wrong. Instantly, time after time came to her mind, reasons why she counted on him, evidence that he was a good partner. A great partner. The best she ever had. Monica was wrong. She had to be...

Kensi went with her first instinct and jumped to his defense.

_I trust him with everything._

She trusts him to have her back. She trusts him to cover her when she needs it. She trusts him to stick to his cover no matter what. She trusts him to never leave her side even in the most dangerous situations.

There was a good reason for Deeks to become Max Gentry again. There was a good reason for him to get close to Monica, deceiving her in the process. All of this was for the greater good.

She neglected to defend his reasons for keeping all of it from her. Maybe because she had no idea why.

As she left the room and shut the door, she paused... allowing herself a moment to feel the pain. To feel the betrayal. To wonder how this person that she thought she knew better than anyone... how could he not tell her about this?

How could this person who had slowly broken down her walls without her even realizing it... this person that she occasionally thought about a future with... this person that she could no longer imagine life without... the person she trusts with everything... how could he have keep this from her?

She took a deep breath, feeling her walls come back up. She knows that she had just lied to Monica.

There was still one thing she didn't trust him with.

 


	56. The Knife

Prompt from anon - Deeks gives Kensi her knife

* * *

"I almost forgot. I should probably give this back to you."

Deeks reached into the pocket of his jacket and took out her knife.

As Kensi stared at it, she remembered the day she gave it to him. The awkwardness in the morning. The fear and the anger. The tears. The danger he was in. The promises to each other.

And then everything went to hell before he had a chance to return it.

"Thank you for taking care of it." She took the knife from him, not taking her eyes off it.

"I know how much it means to you."

She shook her head. "The knife isn't important. What's important is who gave it to me. And who I gave it to."

She looked up at him. Deeks was overwhelmed. He worried about the changes in their relationship and the trauma that they both endured. He worried that there were too many obstacles in their way. But these subtle words from her ignited a spark of hope. Hope that they would figure everything out.

She smiled at him and for the first time since being home, it seemed to reach her eyes.

"Um... funny story. You'll never guess who I met while you were gone."

"Who?"

"The guy who made that knife for your dad."

"What are you talking about?"

"Did he ever tell you where he got it?"

"No. As far as I remember, he always had it."

"Well, it turns out, your dad was friends with a pretty well-known world-class assassin."

"What?!"

"Hetty had him brought to LA and he recognized it as one he made for a friend. I almost doubted his story when he said his friend had a little girl who was really sweet. I didn't think that doesn't sound like my Kensi."

That earned him another smile. "Your Kensi?"

Normally this would be a time he would backpedal. But not anymore. They had been through too much and almost lost each other too many times.

"Yes. My Kensi."

 


	57. Tattoo

Prompt from N7sdr93 - Deeks spots a tattoo on Kensi's lower back. He sees the letter "M"

* * *

"Do you have something on your mind, Deeks?"

It wasn't unusual for Kensi to notice Deeks staring at her. She's gotten used to it over the years. But today she caught him quite a few times. She finally had to say something.

"Um... well, earlier today, I couldn't help but see something on your lower back when you were reaching for that shelf. It looked like a tattoo."

"Well, good job, Detective. That's some top notch observational skills you have there."

"Also... it kinda looked like the letter M..."

"Correct again."

"That's not for someone special, is it? Like maybe your favorite partner in the entire world?"

She rolled her eyes at his suggestion. She decided to was best to fess up. There was no way he was going to let this one go.

"It was a mistake. It happened a long time ago."

"Let me guess. Was there drinking involved?"

"No, but there was a guy. I was seeing him for a little while. His name was Michael. He was really charming and I was young and dumb. He convinced me that it'd be cool if I got a tattoo."

"So you wanted his name as a tramp stamp?"

"First of all, don't ever call it a tramp stamp. But unfortunately, yes. As it turned out, I only made it through the first letter before I chickened out and refused to let the guy finish. Then he dumped me the next day."

"He sounds like a real winner."

"Yeah. Like I said, I was young and dumb."

"So, forever you'll have the letter M on your back to remind you of this amazing charming guy."

"Looks that way. Unless I actually get around to getting it removed."

"Or you could finish it. Maybe with another name that starts with M. For someone who really is the most charming guy you know."

"I'm not getting your name tattooed on me."

"Alright. I wonder if Sam and Callen have other suggestions."

"I promise you, Deeks. If you ever tell anyone about this, they will never find your body."

 


	58. Private time

Prompt from anon - Kensi finishes the Monica story from Neighborhood Watch

* * *

It had been over a month since they were Justin and Melissa Waring and there was something that Deeks couldn't get off his mind.

"You know, you never finished that story."

"What story?"

"You know what story. Don't even try to play dumb."

"Why, because that's your job?"

"Ha ha. Very funny, Kensi."

"I've been told I'm funny."

"Of course you have. Probably by a guy who was trying to get in your pants."

Kensi shot him a warning look.

"The story about you and Monica… you both liked the same guy… sexy and wild hijinks ensue…"

Kensi just stared ahead at the TV, pretending to be completely engrossed in a slanket infomercial.

"Kensi…"

"I don't want your head to explode."

"Really? I think you underestimate me and my very vivid imagination."

Kensi rolled her eyes and sighed. She knew he wasn't going to let this go. She mumbled something under her breath.

"What was that?"

"I said I made it up."

"Made what up?"

"The whole thing with Monica. Nothing happened. There was no guy. Nothing that you think happened… nothing happened, okay?"

"Wow, Kens. Now, why would you make that up?"

Kensi spoke softly again.

"What was that, mumbles? I can't really hear you over the sound of my complete and utter disappointment."

"After dinner with Brett and Polina and seeing their lovely sex dungeon… I guess it just seemed like you think I'm boring. I wanted you to think I'm… you know…"

"Sexy and wild?"

Kensi blushed and looked away from him.

"Hey." He reached over and gently touched her shoulder. She looked up at him again. "I would never think you're boring."

Kensi gave him a soft smile. For a second, she thought he was leaning closer to her. Time seemed to stop as her heart pounded in her chest. What was he doing? She couldn't decide if this was a terrible idea or not… And then the moment passed.

(The fact that she was disappointed made her think it probably would have been a terrible idea.)

"I think I should go. Monty's probably dancing in circles, desperate to go outside."

Kensi walked to the door with him and opened it. Before he left, he turned to her and gave her a mischievous grin. "You know, there's no reason why you and I can't make our own sexy and wild memories."

She shook her head, unable to stop herself from smiling. "I don't know if you can handle Kensi private time."

"I'm more than willing to give it try."

She gave him a playful shove out the door. "Good night, Deeks."

"Good night, Sugar Bear."

 


	59. Violin Teacher

Prompt from twomyfavoritethings - Deeks goes undercover as a violin teacher

* * *

"I can't believe I got talked into this."

"As if you had a choice. Hetty was pretty insistent that this is the only way to get into this house."

"And we know Hetty always gets her way." Deeks pulled the last box out of his closet and sat down on the floor next to it. "It's gotta be in here."

He opened the box and a soft smile spread across his face as he saw the dusty black case. He opened it and pulled out a violin.

"I haven't played this thing in years. And of course Hetty found out about it."

"She has her ways." Kensi said quietly. She sat down next to him, looking a little too intently at the violin.

"Yeah, like my partner blabbing to her about it."

"No… no, why would you think I'd do that?"

"Kensi…"

"Okay, fine," she sighed. "I told Hetty. But it's a perfect cover. They're looking for a violin teacher. You play the violin."

" _Played_  the violin. I'm so rusty, they'll probably demand a refund right away. Maybe I'll pretend to be Harold Hill or something and just teach the Think System. Then I should be fine."

"Harold who?"

"Seriously, Kensi. The Music Man? Have you learned nothing from me?"

"Sorry, I don't know it."

"That's right. It wasn't directed by Jon Hughes so you obviously haven't seen it."

"Hey, that's not fair. Titanic wasn't directed by Jon Hughes." Kensi was trying to sound serious, but her voice cracked from a laugh that was threatening to surface.

Deeks shook his head and smiled. He stopped making fun of her terrible sense of humor a long time ago. (Right around the time he realized it was one of the many things he loved about her.)

"So, you gonna show me how this is done or what?"

Deeks plucked each of the strings and cringed. "Once I remember how to tune this thing, I'll show you just how sophisticated and cultured I can be. Then you'll really be impressed."

Kensi leaned over and kissed him. "I don't know. I kind of like you as a neanderthal."

"Really?" He put his violin back in the box and gathered her in his arms. "Now, that…" He kissed her back. "… I remember."

Kensi smiled against his lips. "Don't you have practicing to do?"

"I have the Think System. I'll be fine. I have another kind of practicing I need to do."

 


	60. Friday Night

Prompt from blue dogs rock – Sam and Callen

* * *

"You should come over for dinner on Friday night."

Callen just smiled and shook his head. He knew that Sam was definitely up to something. He would suggest something normal and harmless, but it was never what it seemed.

"What?"

"Dinner? Really?"

"Yes, dinner. It's something that adults who are friends do. They invited their friends over to their house for food and conversation. You should try it sometime." Sam was sounding slightly annoyed. This was another giveaway that he had a hidden agenda.

"Sure, Sam. That's a great idea. I'll host a fancy dinner party at my house with all my friends."

"You might want to get some furniture before you do that. And maybe some more friends. Besides, this is about you coming over to my house."

"I don't know. That's what it seems like you want me to believe. But nothing is ever what it seems with you."

Sam muttered under his breath. "You're one to talk."

"Alright, fine. I'll be there. It sounds like fun."

"You can bring Joelle if you want."

Callen laughed. "And there it is."

"And there what is?"

"You and Michelle are checking up on us. You want to see for yourselves how things are going between us."

"Well, can you blame us? You two really don't like sharing information."

"I'm a very private person."

"Don't you think you owe something to the people who set you two up?"

"You're assuming that we're still seeing each other."

"Come on, G."

"This is killing you, isn't it?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "No, I'm fine. It's Michelle who's curious. I could care less what you do with your free time and who you do it with." He was avoiding eye contact, which meant he was lying.

"Really? It's all Michelle? Maybe I'll ask her about that when I come over for dinner on Friday. Alone."

"Wow. After all we've been through, you'd do that to me? Throw me under the bus in front of my own wife."

Now Callen couldn't stop laughing. As annoyed as Sam was, he could help but chuckle along with his friend.

"You know, we're curious because we want you to be happy. Whether that's with Joelle or not."

"Thanks. I'll always have a reason to be happy as long as I have you."

Sam rolled his eyes. "So are you coming on Friday or what?"

"I'll be there."

"Alone?"

Callen gave him a look.

"What? I need to know how much food to prepare."

"Fine. I'll bring Joelle."

"Oh, so you are still seeing her? That's very interesting."

"Yes, finally, you got the truth out of me."

"G, you have to promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Don't run off and get married or anything like that without telling me? I wanna be there when that happens."

" _If_  that ever happens."

"I'm serious. That would be a big deal and you need your family there."

"I'd never do that to you. Besides, if you're not there, who would give me away?"

"Oh, I'll gladly give you away. Then I'll find a new partner and friend who doesn't drive me crazy."

"You'd be so bored without me."

Sam smiled and shook his head. "You got that right."

 


	61. Thank you (2nd version)

Prompt from anon - Michelle Hanna takes Deeks out to lunch to thank him for not giving her up to Sidorov

* * *

**A/N:**   _I already wrote a drabble where Michelle thanks Deeks (Chapter 14). So I'm not following this prompt exactly. I hope you don't mind, anon._

_This is the end of Ascension (5x01) but instead of just being on the phone, Michelle was with Sam and Callen as they walked into the bullpen._

* * *

Deeks gripped the chattering teeth in this hand so tight, he thought he would break them. He laughed with the rest of them at Callen's ridiculous fake teeth. On any other day, in any other circumstance, his laugh would have been genuine. But today he was just doing what he thought he should do. He was just doing what he thought was expected of him.

"Hey, laughing's good." Sam smiled.

"Yeah. Okay." Deeks knew they all meant well. They all were really glad that he was still alive. But the last thing he wanted to do was laugh.

Then he noticed that one person was not laughing. Michelle gave her husband a warning glare. Sam's face immediately sobered.

She walked up to Deeks and looked right at him. Her expression was so different. She didn't seem like the same woman from that abandoned shop at all. Then she was cold and devious and willing to kill anyone who stood in her way. That was Quinn. Now, Deeks was seeing the real Michelle Hanna. He saw compassion and sorrow and gentleness and strength and gratitude in her face. She reached for his hand, interlaced her fingers with his and squeezed.

"I'm so, so sorry for what happened."

"It wasn't your fault."

"I know." She took a deep breath. There were tears forming in her eyes. "I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for you. Thank you."

Not even five minutes ago, all Deeks wanted was to run and never look back. He didn't know how to go back to his life. He didn't know how to act around these people he'd known for years. Kensi, Sam, Callen... they all were trying, they all wanted him back to normal. The trouble was... Deeks didn't know what normal was anymore.

But now Michelle was standing in front of him, holding his hand. She wasn't trying to fix him. She wasn't trying to force him to be a certain way. She wasn't trying to understand what he was going through. She was just saying thank you.

For the first time all day, Deeks thought that maybe things would turn out alright. He didn't know how, but for now it was enough just to hope.

 


	62. Can we watch one more?

_Happy Birthday, idristardis :)_

* * *

"Come on, Kens. I'm about to press play."

Kensi emerged from the kitchen carrying two beers. "What are we watching again?"

"Doctor Who, on Eric's recommendation. He said I'd like it."

Kensi sat down next to him and scrunched her face. "So then explain to me why I have to watch it too?"

"Because that's what partners do. We force each other to watch stuff the other doesn't want to watch. I'm positive that's somewhere in the NCIS handbook."

Kensi rolled her eyes. "I don't know about this. It looks weird."

"Well, Eric promised if I don't like it then he'll wear pants for a week."

"What happens if you like it and I don't? What do I get?"

Deeks smiled. "Then I'll wear no pants for a week. How about that?"

That earned him another eye roll and Deeks laughed. Something tugged at his heart every time she did this. He made it his mission in life to make her do it as often as possible.

"How about we just say that you owe me this after all the horror movies and Top Model episodes you made me watch."

"Fine." Kensi sighed. "But I think I'm going to need more beer."

* * *

Hours later, they were both lying down on the couch. Kensi rested her head on his chest. Deeks had his arm around her and held her close. The credits were rolling on the fifth episode when Deeks reached for the remote and turned off the TV.

"Why'd you shut it off?" She was embarrassed because her question sounded too much like a whine and she was really hoping he didn't notice.

"It's late and I figured I'd put you out of your misery. I actually thought you had fallen asleep."

"No... I was just comfortable. So are we really done?"

"You like it, don't you? Don't even deny it."

Kensi covered her face with her hand. "Fine. I like it."

"So Eric is saved from having to wear pants this week. He'll be very relieved."

"Um... Deeks?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we watch one more?"

Deeks smiled, kissed her forehead, and turned the TV back on.

 


	63. Coffee Table Clutter

"Kensi, you said you'd clean off the coffee table and you still haven't done it."

"I will. I didn't say when I'd clean it."

"So can I expect it to be done before or after we're officially senior citizens?"

Kensi rolled her eyes. "Why are you making such a big deal about this?"

"Because I seem to remember that we used to have a coffee table and now we just have a pile of clutter."

"Fine. If it'll get you to stop whining, I'll do it now."

"Thank you." He called to her as he disappeared into the kitchen.

He leaned against the counter and waited. He closed his eyes and took in slow deliberate breaths. He could feel his heart rate slowly increase the longer he stood there. Finally, he heard the sound he had been anticipating.

"Deeks! What the hell is this?!" Kensi stormed into the kitchen holding a small black box.

"It looks like a box. You should be familiar with what boxes are."

"Is this some kind of a joke? You just leave this box on the table with a diamond ring in it? You think you're funny or something?"

"Well, since you asked..."

She shoved the box into his hand. "You have some nerve. Some things you just shouldn't joke about."

She turned to go back into the living room, but Deeks grabbed her wrist with his other hand. She looked up at him, fire still in her eyes. She expected to see a sheepish, apologetic look. She expected him to babble nervously. She expected to hear the usual  _come on, Kens, don't be mad_.

Her expression changed from anger and frustration to confusion as something slowly dawned on her.

This wasn't a joke.

Deeks was anything but apologetic and sheepish. He gently caressed her hand and took a step closer to her. The intensity of his gaze made her forget to breathe.

This was definitely not a joke.

He looked down at his hand that held the box and then cracked it open. Kensi let out a tiny gasp, not because she didn't know there was a diamond ring in that box. But because she now knew that he was serious.

This was actually happening... but she still could not believe it.

"Seems a shame to let this thing go to waste." He looked back up at her and smiled.

Her mind was a whirlwind right now, but she couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah... that would be a shame..."

"You know, if you weren't such a procrastinator, I would have done this a week ago."

She tilted her head, still smiling. "Done what? I don't think you've actually done anything yet."

"Oh, touché."

"Get on with it then."

"So bossy." Deeks got down on one knee, still holding her hand. "Kensi Marie Blye, will you marry me?"

Kensi smiled so wide her face hurt. "Of course, yes! Yes, I'll marry you."

He slipped the ring on her finger. He stood up and gathered her in his arms. She buried her face in his neck and held on. She finally pulled back and looked at her hand. The ring was gorgeous.

She shook her head and looked at him. "Really? This has been sitting on the coffee table for a week?"

"Sitting on the coffee table under a pile of your junk for a week. Now you know why I kept nagging you about it. You were driving me crazy. I thought you'd never find it."

Kensi leaned up and kissed him. "Well, now you're really in trouble. I'm going to be driving you crazy for the rest of your life."

Deeks smiled against her lips. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

"You do realize this means I'm going to stop cleaning. Unless you have other surprises for me hidden in there."

"Oh, I have other surprises for you." He captured her lips in a slow intense kiss. "But not in there."

* * *

Prompt from anon - continue "Really" (Chapter 52) with the proposal

 


	64. The Worst Part

Prompt from Emily 1616 - Deeks goes into overprotective mode about Kensi

* * *

Kensi found Deeks cleaning his gun in the armory. She leaned against the table, watching him.

"Is something on your mind, Kens? Or is what I'm doing really that fascinating?"

"I can't believe Hetty's gone."

"She won't be gone forever. She just went to DC."

"Yeah, but we don't know why and we don't know what's happening to her. She wouldn't tell any of us what was going on and she was obviously upset."

"Kens... I've been wondering something."

"What?"

Deeks put down his gun and looked up at her. "Why are you so concerned about her?"

"Because..." She was obviously thrown off by his question. "She's Hetty. What if she gets fired? What if she gets in real trouble for what happened?"

"And would that really be a bad thing?"

"Deeks... how could you say that?"

"Think about it. That whole White Ghost thing. Hetty lied to all of us. She stepped way out of line in everything she did."

"She does that all the time. She's always been like that."

"I know, but this time it was different. Sure, Hetty's always been mysterious and has always made up her own rules as she went along, but up until now we could still see that she cared about us and that she was looking out for us."

"She still does care about us."

Deeks shook his head. "Does she? Because the last several months could have fooled me."

Kensi was silent. This was the first time they really talked about the White Ghost mission and Hetty's involvement. Up until now, she tried not to think about what Hetty had done. She had always looked to her operations manager as more than her superior. She was someone she admired. Someone she strived to be like. She was family. But when she thought about her assignment to Afghanistan... it made her question everything she knew about Hetty.

If she was really honest with herself, Kensi would have to admit that Deeks was right. This was different. Everything that Hetty knew and didn't tell her... it was staggering to think about.

Even among all these doubts, she couldn't stop herself from defending her.

"I wish there was something we could do."

"Look, Hetty means a lot to me, too. But this whole White Ghost thing... shipping you off to the other side of the world at the drop of a hat... I completely thought that it was all my fault. She knew I felt that way and she did nothing to tell me otherwise. So for five months, I lived with that, believing it was true. That you were being punished because we were too emotionally involved. But the reality was that she sent you because she was  _counting_  on you getting emotionally involved."

"Deeks... you thought it was your fault?"

"Yeah. I did. But that's not the worst part. If that's all this had caused, then I could get over it and say 'Oh Hetty was just being Hetty.' But I can't. The worst part of this whole damn thing is that you were not prepared. You didn't have any of the information you needed. You almost died. Because of what she did, I almost lost you. And I just can't forgive her for that right now. Maybe it's a good thing that she learns there are consequences for her actions."

Deeks got up off his chair and moved so he was standing right in front of her. "You mean more to me than anyone. I will never be okay with what she did to you."

Kensi took a deep breath and gave him a slight smile. So much had changed in the past several months. So much she thought she knew had been turned upside down. But there was one thing she knew she could always count on. Her partner would always be there for her.

 


	65. Funnel cake

Prompt from anon - Densi + hot fudge topped funnel cake

* * *

"I can't believe you went back for seconds."

"This is my new reason for living. I'm going back tomorrow to get another one."

"That's not a good idea, Kens."

"Of course it's not a good idea. It's deep fried carbs covered in sugar and chocolate. But it makes me happy in a way that no other junk food has."

They had gone to the fair together, not just as partners, not just as friends. Deeks asked her to go with him and actually made it clear it was a date. She was shocked, but then a smile crept across her face as she said yes... as long as he promised to buy her cotton candy.

But the cotton candy was forgotten as soon as she saw the booth for hot fudge topped funnel cakes.

Deeks set down the giant bear that she won for him in a shooting game. They both had fun as Kensi started off pretending not to know how to hold the toy rifle. And then she proceeded to blow away every single target. The guy running the game gave them the giant bear, called her a shark, and refused to let her play again.

He watched her as she took a bite out of her funnel cake. He couldn't help but smile.

"What?" She asked as she met his gaze.

"Nothing... it's just that you're ridiculous, you know that? You have chocolate on your face."

She smiled and then she took a huge bite, shoving the whole thing against her face. She stifled a laugh as she tried to chew. Deeks burst out laughing at the sight. She had powder sugar and chocolate all over her face now. And yet, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world.

"You think this is funny?" She asked after she managed to swallow.

"I think you need help. We need to put you in some kind of 12-step program for pastry addicts."

She grinned and before he could wonder what she was thinking, she put down her funnel cake, grabbed his face and kissed him full on the mouth. At first he was stunned. Then he chuckled as her lips moved against his, realizing that she was getting chocolate and sugar all over him in the process. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. This kiss was messy, but he didn't give a damn. She tasted sweet and it was perfect because it was with her.

She pulled back and they both laughed as Deeks rested his forehead on hers.

"Now we both look ridiculous." She teased.

He reached up and held her cheek as a serious look came across his face. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I should have done this a long time ago. Asked you out on a real date. Not just grabbing dinner after work or drinking beer while watching TV."

"If it makes you feel any better, Deeks, I probably wouldn't have said yes a long time ago."

"I just... kind of feel bad. Like, we've done some things out of order. Maybe we should have done this first before... you know... other things."

"We have kind of made a mess of things. Literally and figuratively."

"You mean figuratively then literally."

She laughed. "I can't take you seriously with all that chocolate all over your face."

"It's your fault!"

"Yeah..." She leaned up and kissed him. "But I don't think you're really complaining about that."

"No, you got me there."

"So, since we did this first date thing... and I think it went pretty well... what do we do now?" She ran her fingers through his hair.

"Well, maybe we should clean ourselves up..." He kissed the powdered sugar off her nose. "Especially since I'm pretty sure I have funnel cake in my hair now."

She laughed. "Now, that sounds like a great idea."

 


	66. Movie night

_Happy Birthday, everyatomofmartydeeks :)_

* * *

It had been Nell's idea to have movie night in the boat shed. They moved the couch and some chairs in front of the screen normally used for communicating information during a case. Deeks sat on a big comfy chair with Kensi on his lap (those two weren't even trying to hide it anymore). Sam, Callen, Nell, and Eric settled on the couch. Eric was reading through the list of movies he had on his computer. When he got to "The Princess Bride," Callen said he had never watched it before. It was unanimously decided by everyone else that he had to see it.

It had been a long week with a difficult case that had taken a toll on all of them. When they finally had the chance to sit still and relax, eyes started drooping. One by one, they started drifting off to sleep.

It seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. One moment, Fred Savage was complaining about the kissing parts. The next, Nell realized that the movie was over and that almost everyone was gone. Everyone except Callen. She also realized that she was snuggled perfectly into his side with his arm securely around her.

"Hey, where is everyone?" Her voice was slightly raspy.

"They all went home."

She was becoming more aware of how close they were. "I'm sorry for falling asleep on you. You probably wanted to get home, too."

"No, I'm good. I was enjoying the movie. And the company."

"I was sleeping on you. How can that be enjoyable? Oh no… I wasn't snoring, was I?"

"No, but you did start drooling at one point."

"Oh no…"

"It's okay. I'm used to it. Sam drools on me all the time."

"I'm so so sorry." Nell's face was bright red.

Callen started laughing. "It's really okay, Nell. I was lying anyway."

Her horrified look instantly turned exasperated. "Very funny."

"I thought it was. But seriously, I promise you. No snoring, no drooling… and I really did enjoy the company."

Nell felt heat rise in her face again. She smiled as she averted his gaze. "I, uh, I enjoyed it, too."

Self-consciousness got the better of her and she stood up. Immediately she missed the feeling of being under his arm. She turned off the screen and started gathering her things.

"So… you're alright with getting home?"

"Yeah, I drove here. I'll be fine."

They walked out to the parking lot together.

"Thanks for suggesting this, Nell. It was nice to spend time with you guys without having to worry about the end of the world."

"Did you like the movie?"

"Yeah, I did."

Nell smiled. "Good. It's an experience that everyone needs. Now, you just need to watch it over and over so you have the dialogue memorized. Then you can speak it along with the movie and annoy everyone you're watching it with."

Callen laughed. "I think I'll pass on that. I have better ways of annoying people."

Nell narrowed her eyes at him. "Like making people think they drool in their sleep?"

"Exactly."

They were already next to her car and stood in an awkwardly comfortable silence.

Callen cleared his throat. "Well, maybe we should get going. It's late."

"Yeah, it is."

"Hey, text me when you get home, so I know you're safe."

She was about to protest that she would be fine and that he didn't have to worry. But it felt good that he was looking out for her. "Ok, I will."

Before she could open the door, he leaned down and kissed her cheek, lingering for longer than he meant to. She held her breath, enjoying it more than she thought she should.

"Good night, Nell."

"Good night."

 


	67. Uncomfortable

Prompt from anon - Deeks discovers the wonder that is Kensi's new pregnant figure and curves

* * *

It didn't matter what position Kensi was in. She was uncomfortable. Now, she was attempting to lie on her side, but she was still unhappy.

_Stupid pregnant belly. How is this kid already getting on my nerves?_

Her pity party was interrupted when Deeks crawled onto the bed next to her. His sweet smile warmed her heart in the midst of her grumpiness. He reached out and gently caressed her belly.

"What are you doing?" Despite her slightly annoyed tone, she was thoroughly enjoying his touch. Her discomfort was slowly being forgotten.

"Nothing." His smile turned mischievous.

"It doesn't feel like nothing."

"What kind of feelings am I giving you?" He leaned over and kissed her nose. "I'm just enjoying my gorgeous wife slash future mother of my future child."

"What's to enjoy?"

"Are you serious right now?"

"Come on, just look at me. I mean, I look at myself in the mirror and it's like... what is happening to me? I don't recognize myself anymore. All my body parts are different shapes now and I'm always uncomfortable and moody."

"That's because you have a little man inside of you." There was that smile again. Like he thought he was the funniest person in the world. (And she had to admit, at times he was.)

"You don't know that yet."

"Or a little lady. Whatever. That's not the point. The point is..." He trailed his hand along her growing belly across to her hip and down her leg, causing her to shiver. "The point is that you are Kensi Marie Blye which means no matter what, you will always be the most beautiful woman in the world."

"You are so cheesy, you know that?" She blinked away the tears that were forming in her eyes, but she couldn't hide the emotion in her voice.

"And you are so in love with me."

"Against my better judgement, yes I am."

He leaned over again, kissing her slowly. She brought her hand up to his face and melted into his touch. Then his hand glided up under her shirt and gently cupped her breast. She couldn't help but chuckle against his lips.

"Now what are you doing?"

"Same thing as before. Enjoying my gorgeous wife. Why? You want me to stop?"

She smiled, her discomfort completely forgotten. "No, absolutely not."

 


	68. It all seemed so real

_Happy Birthday, lightedwindows :)_

* * *

Everything was fuzzy. Her head hurt and she couldn't move. Slowly, her senses and her bearings were returning to her.

She realized she wasn't alone… wherever she was. The muffled noises were becoming words and voices she recognized.

She blinked several times, the light stinging her eyes.

"Hey, you guys, she's awake. Hetty, are you alright? Do you know where you are?"

"No," her voice cracked, so dry and painful. "I can't see what's going on. Where are my glasses?"

"They're right here."

Someone placed her glasses in her hand. She managed to unfold them and lift them to her face. Finally, she was able to focus on where she was and who she was with. She appeared to be in a hospital room, filled with familiar faces. Callen, Sam, Deeks, Kensi, Granger, Nell, Eric, Nate… and one woman she recognized… but couldn't quite place her name.

"What… what's happened to me?"

"You were in surgery, Hetty," Eric said. "You had a pretty sizable brain tumor that had to be removed. Do you remember anything?"

"Vaguely… I remember some things…"

"What can you tell us?"

"Well… I remember sending Nate to evaluate Mr. Deeks after a traumatic experience. And Nate said that his relationship with Kensi was the key to recovery."

Nate laughed so loud it hurt Hetty's ears. "Wow. Those must have been some powerful drugs they had you on. There's no way I'd give such terrible advice like that. I would deserve to have my license taken away and then chased out of town!"

"It all seemed so real… and I remember Miss Blye… sending her to Afghanistan with the instructions to take out someone who was being hunted by the CIA. But this person was her former fiancé… and I knew about it but didn't tell her before sending her…"

"Hetty…" Kensi's expression was bewildered. "Wow, that could only happen in a dream. There's no way you would do something like that in real life."

"And then I sent Callen and Sam and Deeks to rescue you, without telling them what was going on either."

Sam chuckled. "Hetty, we all know you can be mysterious, but really? You would never send us into a dangerous situation like that without telling us everything we needed to know in order to get out safely."

"And Eric and Nell… when the others were rescuing Miss Blye… there was a picture found of her… it looked like she was dead and Nell asked me to take it down and I refused. I said it would help motivate us to find Miss Blye."

Eric shook his head and Nell spoke up. "Hetty, I think it's going to take some time for you to sort out what's real and what's not."

"And then I got in trouble for that whole thing and I accused Owen of not being loyal to me, even though I keep information from him, too."

"Henrietta, that's just ridiculous." His gravelly voice couldn't hide his concern for his old friend.

Hetty turned her attention to the woman whose name was still escaping her. "I know you… don't I?"

"Yes, we met a couple times. My name is Talia. I work for the DEA. We've teamed up on a couple cases."

"I seem to remember an altercation between you and Miss Blye… over Mr. Deeks perhaps?"

Talia laughed and smiled at Kensi, who was returning her smile. "That's not possible. We get along great. We're both professionals and would never behave in such a childish way."

"And as much as I'd love for two beautiful ladies to fight over me… " Both Kensi and Talia rolled their eyes at Deeks. "I can guarantee that never happened."

Callen was sitting closest to her bed. He reached out and took her hand. "We're here for you, Hetty. The doctor said you should make a full recovery. And you don't have to worry about all that stuff that you dreamed while you were in surgery."

"Thank goodness. I think I'm feeling quite tired. Maybe I should try to sleep."

"Okay, Henrietta," Granger started to wave everyone out of the room. "Get some rest. And no more dreaming up crazy scenarios."

She smiled at all the people who were more than co-workers and friends. They were family. And she was glad that everything seemed to be back to normal.

 


	69. Book Club (Rated M)

Prompt from anon - Sexy drabble: Densi starts their own "book club" and its just between them ;)

**A/N** :  _Post History (episode 4x15). Rated M. This is my 69th drabble since I started taking prompts. Even though it was my idea to make it a dirty one, I'm still choosing to blame this on hermionesmydawg because she didn't stop me :)_

* * *

"Hi, what's up, partner?" Deeks offered his usual smile to Kensi as he opened the door.

"Nothing. Just stopping by. Are you busy?"

"No, me and Monty were just hanging out. You want a beer?"

"Sure."

She followed Deeks into his kitchen. He opened a Lagunitas and handed it to her.

"We missed you at Morgan's party. It was a pretty wild event."

She narrowed her eyes at him and smiled. "Really? Is that so?"

"Yeah. I even beat Sam at Rock Paper Scissors."

"How'd you do that?"

"I used my superior wisdom that I gained from reading  _Art of War_."

"Wow. That's pretty impressive."

"It was. And you missed it."

She hadn't even taken one drink from her beer, but she set it down on his table and took a couple steps toward him. "Speaking of  _Art of War_..."

"Yes?" He wasn't sure about the look on her face. It wasn't unusual for her to just stop by after work. But she was looking at him in a way that made him wonder...

"I think you had a pretty good idea before... about starting a book club for just you and me."

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip. She was moving closer, now right in front of him. "Um... really? Book club, huh? Which book did you have in mind?"

"I don't know." She brought her hands up and rested them on his chest. "Maybe some ancient text book?"

" _Art of War_?" His voice was barely a whisper.

She shook her head right before she gripped the material of his T-shirt and pulled him closer, covering his mouth with hers. It took him a couple seconds to realize what was happening. Then he placed his hands on her hips, drawing her even closer. He returned her kiss, savoring the feeling of her tongue against his.

She tore her lips from his and smiled. "So, are you all recovered from your injury from earlier?"

"Oh... don't remind me..." He cringed as he remembered being kicked.

Her hand slid down and rested on his belt buckle. "Maybe I should help you find out if everything still works?"

He answered her by pulling her in the direction of his bedroom. They left a trail of clothing as hands and lips continued to explore. By the time they made it to his bed, they were both naked. She pushed him down and they both took a moment to admire each other.

"Condom?" She asked.

He pointed to his nightstand. "Drawer."

She found one and then climbed on the bed, straddling him. She wasted no more time, ripping it open and rolling it in place.

"Wow..." she breathed out as she lowered herself on him.

"Wow? I get a wow? I mean, I know I'm pretty spectacular and everything but..."

"Deeks?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Sure thing. Whatever you say. Shutting up..." She didn't believe he actually would, but as she started to ride him, it seemed that he lost his ability to string words together.

His hands were everywhere, all over her as she moved above him. She leaned forward and grabbed the headboard for support. Almost there, she was desperate to topple over the edge, also not wanting it to ever end. Then he leaned up and took her nipple in his mouth. He bit down and that was it for her. She gasped as waves of electricity coursed through her body.

As she was coming down, he took control and flipped her over. He thrust into her over and over as she dug her nails into his back. His whole body tensed, still thrusting as he came, cursing under his breath.

After lying next to each other for several minutes, he finally was able to catch his breath. "So... book club, huh?"

"Yeah... great idea, right?"

"Except there were no books or reading involved."

She smiled at him. "Oops."

"So, next time you can bring your copy of the  _Kama Sutra_  over."

"I don't have the  _Kama Sutra_."

Deeks gave her a confused look. "But Hetty gave you..."

"The  _Iliad_. The ancient book she gave me was the  _Iliad_."

"But you said..."

"I didn't say anything."

"But you let me think... wow... you are something else." He grinned as he rolled over on top of her again.

"So, you think we need the  _Kama Sutra_?" She ran her fingers through his hair and drew him in for a kiss.

"No, I think we're good."

"Book club with no books? Just you and me?"

He smiled against her lips. "Sounds perfect." He kissed her slowly. She wanted him again...

"Hey! Kensi, you awake?"

"Huh?" She startled, remembering her surroundings. She was in her car. With Deeks. Not in his bedroom. Not resuming their "book club" activities. Had she actually started fantasizing about him? While he was rambling about... who even knows what?

"Are you listening? I was telling you about this financial planning seminar I think we should go to."

"Oh... sounds great."

"Don't get too excited about it."

"No, no, let's do it. It's like... your best idea ever."

 


	70. Sam's Family

They were not just his coworkers. Not a single one did he consider just a coworker.

They were his family, in every sense of the word. He loved them like brothers and sisters. He protected them like they were his children. He counted on them as if they were his parents.

Like with family, he worried. He agonized over the pain they may suffer, the failure, the loss. He worried they would move beyond his reach, beyond his ability to protect. His greatest fear was that he would lose them... never to see their faces or to hear their voices or to put his arms around them again.

But, like any family, this bond also came with hardship. They didn't always see eye to eye. Sometimes they didn't want his help. Sometimes they'd rather go off and figure things out on their own. He would have to resist the urge to push and fix everything for them. He would have to just let them go. Sometimes they just didn't understand each other. Too focused on the surface, not looking at what was underneath. Only thinking about ways they were different, instead of ways they were alike. He would let stubbornness cloud the way, not seeing what was really there.

Even though it was difficult and sometimes terrifying, even though there were fights and worry and frustration, even when he had to admit he was wrong, it was all worth it. It was worth it because there was also laughter and loyalty and generosity and love. His heart would swell to the point of bursting.

They were not just his coworkers. They were his family. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

**A/N:**   _This drabble is also posted on my tumblr blog with gifs made by hermionesmydawg.[Here is the link.](http://aprylynn.tumblr.com/post/98177546658/sam-hanna-x-touch-they-were-not-just-his)_


	71. I wonder what his name was

Post-ep 6x03 - Kensi and Deeks bring Nell home

* * *

Nell was quiet the whole way over to her apartment. Kensi asked if she was okay and Deeks tried to make her laugh, but she seemed a million miles away. They both understood.

She tried telling them they didn't have to walk with her inside, but she didn't have the energy to argue. After shutting the door, Nell leaned against it, letting out a breath and rubbing her forehead.

Kensi and Deeks weren't sure what to do. They knew what she must be going through. Both of them had been in her place. Sharing a look with her partner, Kensi spoke up. "Do you need anything, Nell? We can stay if you like or we could get you something to eat."

She didn't move or say anything. "Nell?" The concern was obvious in Deeks' voice.

"I wonder what his name was..." Her voice was just above a whisper.

"What?"

"I wonder who he was." She lowered her hand and finally looked at them. Tears were forming in her eyes and her voice cracked. "If there's anyone who will miss him. What lead him to choose that life..." The tears spilled over. She slid down to the floor as sobs shook her body. "Oh my god... what have I done?"

They knew it wouldn't help to tell her she did the right thing. That it was either him or her. That this was the cost of what they did. None of that would help her right now. Kensi and Deeks shared a knowing look. There was only one thing they could do for her now.

Kensi sat down next to her, wrapping her arm around her friend. Deeks sat on the other side. He reached for her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers. He then wrapped his arm around both of them, resting is head against Nell's.

They lost track of how long they sat there and none of them cared. Nell let it all out, mourning a part of her innocence that was gone forever, mourning the life that ended today at her hand. Kensi and Deeks knew what she was going through and they knew that over time it would get easier for her. And the fact that it gets easier will trouble her as well.

They had an important job that needed to be done and it had taken it's toll on all of them. All three of them had paid the price, more than what was really fair.

The only way they could make it through was together.

 


	72. Shipmates

Inspired by [this edit](http://wingsofnight.tumblr.com/post/99728396840) by wingsofnight

* * *

"I've noticed you haven't told me how amazing I look today."

She rolled her eyes, but she knew he wasn't wrong. He did look amazing. Gorgeous even. His fluffy blonde hair was getting caught in the wind and shining in the sun. The white shirt he wore was perfect… except there were too many buttons done up. She kept wondering how long she had to stare at his chest before he got that memo.

But maybe he already did. That smug look on his face said he knew exactly what she wanted. And he wasn't going to miss an opportunity to tease her. As much as that cocky grin infuriated her, she also found it sexy as hell.

"Well, you haven't said anything about me, either."

"That goes without saying. You always look gorgeous." And damn it, did she look gorgeous today. When one of the straps of her white crocheted top slipped off her shoulder, revealing more of the bronze two-piece she was wearing underneath, it took all of his self-control to not push down the other side too.

Yes, she always looked gorgeous, but today she dressed this way for him. For their day alone on the boat.

So far, today was perfect. They settled together on a bench seat and enjoyed the calm water. They felt like the only two people in the world right now. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his side. She hoped he didn't noticed how her heart started to race.

(Although, maybe she did want him to notice. Maybe she wanted him to know the effect he had on her.)

"So, who's this friend of yours and how did you convince him to loan you his boat?"

He smiled. "I have my ways. I can be very convincing."

"Really?" She felt heat rise in her face that had nothing to do with the shining sun. "How's that?"

He leaned over and gave her a gentle, lingering kiss.

She smiled against his lips. "So, you had to make out with your friend?"

"You are so lucky that you're beautiful." He ran his hand up and down her arm, sending shivers through her body at his touch. "People will always laugh at your terrible jokes just because you're hot."

"Shut up." She brought their lips together again. Her fingers had been gripping the material of his shirt. Now, she couldn't wait anymore. One after another, she unfastened all his buttons, lightly scraping her nails across his bare chest. He left a trail of kisses along her jaw down her neck. She let out a breathy moan.

"So, how convincing am I?" He pushed the other strap off her shoulder as he continued kissing her.

She managed to answer him before she lost the ability to string words together. "Very… very convincing."

 


	73. In The Dark

Prompt from hermionesmydawg and me - Kensi and Deeks in the dark

* * *

"So how long do you think the power will be out?"

"You that anxious to finish  _Legally Blonde_?"

"Of course." Deeks answered. "Reese Witherspoon is a national treasure. Plus it's practically my life story. Charming, delightful blonde goes to law school and makes the world a better place."

"You used to get manicures when you had a bad day?"

"Very funny."

"Whatever." Kensi let out a sigh. "I'm bored already."

He tapped the screen of his phone, waking it up and giving the room some illumination. "You can go home if you want."

"I don't know." She smiled, and even in the low light, he was struck by how gorgeous she was. "Then you'll be bored without me."

"So… what do you want to do?"

Now there was a question. Her eyes were adjusting to the dark and she could see the mischievous look on his face. A look that she would normally brush off, but now in the dark with no distractions, she was realizing just what that look did to her. She was really hoping that he couldn't see the color that was most certainly appearing on her cheeks.

She turned towards him. "I don't know. Got any ideas?" As soon as those words came out of her mouth, she knew she was in trouble.

"Oh, I have ideas." He shifted closer. "I always have ideas. I just don't know if you're up for any of them."

It was a challenge and she never backed down from a challenge. He knew this about her (which was probably why he was issuing it).

Their knees were touching and Kensi's heart was racing. This kind of teasing and flirting was normal for them. Hell, there was no denying that it felt good. But here in the dark with him, it felt more than good.

She wanted to touch him and she wanted him to touch her. Why were they not touching? She couldn't come up with an answer to that, not one that really seemed to matter. She placed her hand on his thigh and heard the hitch in his breath. She returned his mischievous smile with one of her own. "I'm up for anything… you know… that's fun to do in the dark."

He started to move closer and she held her breath in anticipation. Their lips touched tentatively at first. He brought his hand up and held her face as he kissed her, slow and sweet. Then neither could hold back any longer. She opened her mouth and angled her head so she could deepen the kiss. His hands were almost everywhere (not everywhere she wanted him to be).

Kensi couldn't deny that she was attracted to Deeks. His fluffy blonde hair, his perfect blue eyes, his infuriatingly gorgeous smile… all things that were definitely perks to being around him everyday. She couldn't deny that she enjoyed their flirty banter (although she would never admit out loud that that's was it was).

But this… kissing her partner who drives her crazy on a daily basis, this was more exhilarating than she ever could have imagined. And she never wanted to stop. She's certain she can't breathe and she doesn't care one bit.

All of sudden the lights came back on and Elle Woods was back on the TV screen, bending and snapping.

They pulled back slightly, but remained close to each other. They stared at each other, not sure of what to do next. His hair was messier than usual because of her (It was so soft and she loved the feeling of it between her fingers.)

"Um…" He smiled awkwardly. "Power's back."

"Yeah, it is." She traced her tongue over her lips, wishing his weren't so damn far away right now.

"You wanna finish the movie?"

She smiled at him and shook her head. Then she untangled herself from his arms and stood up. He already missed her touch and he wondered what she was up to. She reached for the remote and turned off the TV. Never breaking eye contact with him, she stepped over to the wall and flipped the light switch off.

Instead of taking her seat next to him, she straddled his lap and ran her hands up and down his chest.

"Some things are more fun in the dark."

 


	74. Spaghetti

For tooldtoship - Kensi and Deeks go have spaghetti and meatballs and Kensi tells him the rest of the story. (Post episode 6x08, The Grey Man)

* * *

"So did you enjoy your dinner?"

"Absolutely. I just wish Monty could have joined us."

All day long, Deeks wouldn't shut up about spaghetti and meatballs, so for the sake of her sanity, Kensi suggested they go to his favorite diner. They just got back and walked through the door of his apartment. Monty greeted both of them enthusiastically. They always managed to end up at one of their places at the end of each day. More often than not, it was Deeks' (poor Monty missed them both).

"Hey, Deeks?"

"Yeah?"

"Today was kind of rough. I'm... I'm really glad you were there with me."

"I'm glad too." He gave her a warm smile. "You know... you don't have to be ashamed of your past."

"It's hard not to be. That time in my life... I was desperate and angry and selfish. I learned to pick pockets. I took food from other people who were hungry. I... I hurt a lot people."

"You were also really young and you had just lost your dad."

"Yeah... that doesn't make it right though. It doesn't make me feel any better about the stuff I did."

He stepped closer to her and nervously shoved his hands in his pockets. "I really meant it before when I said I wished I could have known her."

"I'd be horrified for you to see what I was."

"It wouldn't make a difference, you know? It wouldn't change how I see you."

She smiled. "You'd still think I have sexy ankles?"

"Among other things."

Kensi blushed and looked down. He was so stupid sometimes. He was trying to make her laugh with that comment about her ankles. But it made her heart race and heat rise in her face. She loved to hear him say any part of her was sexy. Or beautiful.

"You really don't have to worry about only showing me your best. We've all done things that we're not proud of, things that we wish we could take back. I know I have. I've even done things to you that I wish I could take back."

Kensi's heart dropped. She looked up at him, scared to death at what he might mean by this. Did he mean the night before she was reassigned? Did he wish it never happened? If that were true... the thought that he might regret that night made her physically ill.

He instantly saw by the hurt in her face how he had misspoke. "No no no, Kensi. Not that." He stepped closer and grabbed her hand. "Never that."

Today was a rare day for Kensi. Twice she initiated opening up to her partner. Twice she had volunteered information about her past that few people knew. Twice she had given him a rare look into who she is. Why stop now with the honesty? "Then why was it only once?"

"Um... I don't know... I guess maybe because I didn't want to screw things up between us."

"Even if the way things are between us... even if that's not... enough?"

"It's not?"

"No. Is it for you?"

Deeks didn't answer. He was still holding her hand. He ran his thumb along hers and it sent shivers through her body.

"Come on, Deeks. This isn't easy for me, but I'm still trying. Tell me. Is it enough for you?"

He met her gaze and she forgot how to breathe, how to think. The intensity in his eyes burned right through her. Just as she was about to ask him again, he brought his other hand up to her face and closed the distance between them. His lips covered hers and took away what little breath she had left. She wrapped her arms around his waist as she returned his kiss with equal passion.

She was a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts and memories. The feeling of finally having his body pressed against hers (and not just to guard her from an explosion) must have been making her delirious, because she let out a soft chuckle. Deeks broke the kiss and gave her a confused yet adorable look.

She laughed. "I'm sorry. Inappropriate time to laugh. It's just... you taste like spaghetti."

He grinned at her, loving the way she cracked herself up. "Is that a problem?"

"No, no, not at all." She kissed him. "I like spaghetti."

"Well, good."

"And you like my ankles."

"I love your ankles and pretty much every other part of you."

She took in a deep breath. "Even the non-best parts?"

He smiled, right before kissing her again. "Absolutely."

 


	75. Not Really That Bad

_Happy Birthday, zerotolove :)_

* * *

 

"Traitor." Deeks glared and folded his arms across his chest.

Kensi chuckled. “Just because you’re cranky doesn’t mean you can take it out on Monty.”

"He deserves it. I’ve been betrayed by my best friend."

"I told you he’d like her and you didn’t believe me."

Across the room, the scruffy mutt was curled up on his bed, not losing a wink of sleep over Deeks’ foul mood. And curled up next to him was Rose, Kensi’s new cat.

"I told you not to adopt that thing. It’d be nothing but trouble and you’d be on the road to becoming a crazy cat lady."

"First of all, never say ‘crazy cat lady’ again. And second of all, you were so wrong. She’s perfect and friendly and sweet. And Monty loves her, which you were also wrong about. So it seems like the only one who’s being stubborn about her is you."

"She shredded my boots!"

"You needed a new pair anyway."

"There was nothing wrong with them."

Kensi tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him. “Really? You don’t think they were kinda…”

"Kinda what?"

"Ugly?"

"I hate all of you. Human, canine, feline. You’re all against me."

As if she knew she was the subject of their conversation, Rose stirred from her nap. She stretched her legs and arched her back before sauntering over to the couch. She jumped up next to Deeks and rolled over, exposing her belly for scratches.

"Are you serious right now?" She meowed and batted at his leg. Deeks sighed as he gave in and rubbed her belly. "Fine. I guess you’re not really that bad. You have a stupid name though."

"Hey! My cat, my favorite movie, so shut up."

Deeks smiled down at Rose as she purred. “You see how mean she is to me? This is my life and now you’re a part of this crazy family too.”

"I knew you’d come around."

"Yeah, whatever. Just no more bringing in strays."

"Why not? That’s how I ended up with you."

"Very funny."


	76. Much Better

Prompt from anon - Can you please write a follow-up Densi drabble from the episode (6x11)?

* * *

"Kens?"

"Hmmm..." She groaned and buried her face deeper into the pillow.

Deeks slowly traced his fingers up and down her bare back. He knew it was dangerous to do this while she slept, but even cranky sleepy Kensi was irresistible to him. His lips took the place of his fingers. He seemed determined to cover every inch of her skin with soft kisses.

"You know..." He whispered against her skin, causing her to shiver slightly. "We have to go back to work tomorrow."

Another groan. "Don't remind me."

"And we never actually made it to Mammoth."

She turned her face. "Whose fault is that?"

"I'm pretty sure it's your fault. You never got around to packing anything."

"You kept distracting me."

He laughed. "That's not how I remember it. Every time I said you should pack, you just attacked me."

She rolled over and he was still hovering over her. She wanted to touch him everywhere and make him as crazy as he was making her. She flashed a gorgeous smile at him. "Are you actually complaining about that?"

"Well, no..."

"I think we can both agree... that the way we spent our time off..." She reached up and placed her hands on his face. "Was way better than what you originally planned." Leaning up, she brought their lips together and kissed him slowly. She was wide awake now and heat was spreading throughout her body.

"Yeah..." He spoke between kisses. "Definitely more fun than snowboarding... Although I kinda had this in mind too."

"This way is much better. We didn't waste any time driving."

"And skipped to the really fun stuff."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, digging her nails into his back. "So, what do you wanna do on our last day off?"

He ran his hand along her thigh and then grabbed it, hooking it around his hip. "I have some ideas."

 


	77. Back to work

Kensi pulled the Cadillac in front of the door at OSP. After placing it in park and turning off the engine, she sat in silence with her partner. She looked up at his perfect blue eyes and smiled. Deeks returned with a grin of his own, one she was sure she’ll never get tired of seeing.

"So… here we are…" Deeks nodded head towards the door.

"Yeah… we’re here alright."

"You ready for this?"

"Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?"

"Well, because this is our first day back to work after vacation."

"So? We’ve been on vacation before."

"Not together. Not doing things to each other that would…"

"Don’t you dare finish that sentence." Color was rising in her cheeks. She hated not being able to control her reaction to remembering their non-snowboarding activities over the past several days.

Their trip to Mammoth had been incredible. It had been so long since she felt that open and honest and vulnerable with anyone else. The state of uncertainity that they were in was finally over… and she couldn’t be happier.

But now they had to be Kensi Blye and Marty Deeks, the Federal Agent and LAPD Detective. She had to admit to herself that she was nervous about walking into the building with her partner who was not just her partner, knowing that everyone probably knew the status of their relationship. She was starting to think that making out with him at the skating rink maybe wasn’t such a good idea.

He saw the slight glimpse of insecurity on her face. “It’s gonna be fine, Kens. This is new for both of us, but we’ll figure it out. I promise.”

She smiled again, thankful that he was in this with her every step of the way. “Okay, partner. Let’s see what they have in store for us.”

Just as she was about to reach for the door handle, he stopped her. “Wait a second.”

She turned towards him, about to ask what for, when she was silenced with a kiss. He had placed his hand on her face and guided her lips to his. She was starting to get used to him interrupting her like this and she was definitely starting to love it. Before things got too heated (both were fully aware of the outside cameras and the fact that someone was probably watching), he broke the kiss and smiled.

"I had to get one more from you before I can’t for the rest of the day."

She smiled. “So we’ll meet back here at the end of the day for more of that?”

"It’s a date."


	78. Have you forgotten?

"You see that over there?" Michelle nodded her head towards the other side of the ice rink.

"Yeah, I do." Sam shook his head. "They gonna come up for air any time soon?"

"Don’t be like that."

"Like what?"

"All grumpy and sour over two people who are falling for each other."

He rolled his eyes. “Seriously, they’re still going at it. This is a public place and there are kids around here.”

Michelle laughed. “When did you become an old man? Because that’s how you sound right now.”

"I’m just saying they should show some discretion and remember where they are and who’s watching."

"You know…" Michelle slipped her hand into his coat and around his waist. "That was us not that long ago. Or have you forgotten?"

He was still annoyed at being called old, but he couldn’t help but smile at his wife as she moved closer to him. They had been together for years and at times they took each other for granted. At times, their lives had become routine and automatic. But he will never forget the way that she burst into his life and turned everything on its side. How quickly he realized that he never wanted to be without her and how long he fought those feelings… until he just couldn’t anymore. How everyday he fights to make the world a better place for her and their family. And everyday he fights to come home to her.

Screw discretion.

Following the example of the couple across the rink, Sam leaned down and kissed Michelle, holding her face in his hands. He poured all his love and devotion for her into this kiss and the last thing on his mind was who might be watching.

"Wow, you guys too? There must be something in the air."

They broke the kiss, turning towards the ice. They saw Callen skating by with a mischievous smirk on his face.

"Just keep skating!" Sam called out as his partner laughed. He looked down at Michelle and they both smiled. "Now, who were you calling an old man?"

"My mistake." She whispered against his lips right before she brought them together again.


	79. Be Careful

Not a lot changed after Christmas, at least not at work. In lighter moments, they bantered and teased and laughed and rolled their eyes. But when a case was presented, they were determined and focused on the task at hand. Getting the job done was their priority. They never forgot the importance of what they did and what was at stake.

Although, one thing did change and others noticed. Whenever they went out into the field, whenever they had to confront a suspect, whenever they had to enter a dangerous situation, they would say two words to each other.

Be careful.

They never used to say this before. It was always a given that they would be as cautious as possible. They would be watchful and aware of their surroundings. It was a given that they would look out for each other. Their goal had always been for both of them to make it back alive at the end of the day.

But now, they would say it. Be careful. And the meaning was clear. Be careful because you are the person I care about most on this planet. Be careful because your smile brightens my day. Be careful because I need you. Be careful because I love the way you look at me. Be careful because I love you.

So not much was different. Except… everything was.


	80. Best New Years Ever

Prompt from hermionesmydawg - Um... I think you'll get the idea :)

* * *

Deeks was struggling to catch his breath. "Well, now… I think that was the best way ever to usher in the New Year."

Kensi chuckled as she stood up. "And is 2015 gonna be the best year ever?" She planted several kisses on his neck as he tried to button his pants.

"It already is."

A case ended late on New Years Eve night and everyone decided to have an impromptu party at OSP. As soon as the clock struck midnight, Kensi and Deeks gave each other a heated look. They quietly distanced themselves from the others and ended up in the burn room for a little private time.

"Okay, we better get back to the party before they get suspicious."

"But I haven't taken care of you yet." Deeks ran his fingertips along her jaw. If he wasn't convinced before that he loved this woman, he was absolutely certain now.

"I'll collect on that later."

"Promise?"

"Promise. Now let's get the hell out of here."

Deeks looked in both directions before they exited the burn room. They managed to make it back to the bull pen and seemed to be in the clear. He made a mental note that they definitely have to do this again. (It's likely he will never be able to walk past that room again without getting turned on.)

"Hey, Deeks." Sam clapped him on the shoulder. "Where'd you disappear to?"

"What do you mean?" He asked a little too loudly. "I've been around."

"Okay, okay." Sam smiled as he looked at both of them. Then he leaned over and spoke quietly into Deeks' ear. "Next time you might want to remember your fly."

Sam walked away laughing as Deeks looked down in horror. Kensi covered her face in embarrassment.

"So, uh…" He glanced around and zipped up his fly as quickly as possible. "I'm guessing we're not going to be doing that again next year?"

"Shut up, Deeks."

"I owe you double now, don't I?"

"You better believe it."


	81. Have you seen the...

Prompt from s-sdensi, tooldtoship, and anon - "Hey, have you seen the…?  _Oh_." (Send me a line of dialogue meme)

* * *

"Hey, have you seen the…?" Deeks called out as he entered the living room. The sight before him stopped him in his tracks. " _Oh_."

"Seen what?" Kensi yelled over the noise of the vacuum. She had all the seat cushions off the couch and she seemed determined to collect every speck of dust and dirt in her way. She turned to look at Deeks when he didn't answer and found him just staring at her. "What's the matter?"

He completely forgot what he was looking for. "What are you doing?"

She turned off the vacuum. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Right, touché. Let me try again. Why are you cleaning every square inch of our entire house?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's not. It's just so unlike you."

"I clean..." She said defensively. "Sometimes..."

He laughed. "I swear I saw you vacuuming the TV earlier."

"It was covered in dust."

"It never bothered you before."

"Yeah, well, we're having company over."

"It's just your mom and step-dad. They've been here before."

"Not for dinner and not since we..." She pointed back and forth between them. "You know..."

"Make weird awkward gestures instead of say that we're living together?"

She rolled her eyes. "Deeks, I don't know. This feels like a big deal. I know it shouldn't, but it does. And I just want everything to be perfect, okay?"

He smiled and shook his head, overwhelmed with love for this woman in front of him. He walked up to her and gathered her in his arms. At first she was annoyed that he was stopping her from finished her mission... but she soon melted under his gaze.

"I think it's safe to say that your mom won't be looking for dirt under the cushions."

She smiled. "Maybe not."

"So now that you don't have to worry about that, there should be time for a quick one before they get here."

"Deeks..."

"Alright, alright.


	82. The Magic Word

Prompt from perfectpurls - "You forgot to say the magic word." (Send me a line of dialogue meme)

* * *

Deeks sighed. "I really don't feel like watching Titanic again."

"Come on." Kensi stuck out her bottom lip. "Just one more time. I won't ask you to watch it with me again."

"Yeah, right. Maybe not for the rest of the day."

"I don't watch it that much."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Fine, but you forgot to say the magic word."

"I'm not doing that."

"Well, if you really want to watch it again..."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Will you...  _please_..." She said it as if it left a terrible taste in her mouth. "... watch it with me?"

"Sorry, that's not the magic word."

"Dammit, Deeks."

"Nope, that's not it either." A mischievous smile spread across his face.

"You are the most infuriating..."

"Kens, you're not even close."

"Why do I even bother..."

"I know. It's like you're not even trying at this point."

"You are unbelievable."

"That's what I've been told."

She couldn't even be mad anymore. When it came to him, she just couldn't help but smile, no matter how much he pissed her off. She moved towards him, pushing him back on the couch and falling on top of him. She kissed him deeply as he wrapped his arms around her. Now she had something else on her mind. "Take off your pants." She whispered against his lips.

"There it is."

"There what is?"

"The magic word."

"That's more than one word." She said, smiling because he was so stupid and she loved him so much.

"It's magic. It can be more than one word."

"Just shut up and take off your pants."

"What about the movie?"

"What movie?"


	83. Don't make it into a big deal

Prompt from itsokayigotyou - Don't make it into a big deal (Send me a line of dialogue meme)

_Continuation of Chapter 81 (Have you seen the...)_

* * *

"I'm exhausted." Kensi sighed as she plopped down on the couch. "And I need some ice cream."

"We just had dessert."

"So?"

Deeks laughed as he sat down and pulled her into his arms. Her mom and step-dad just left. They all had a great time together, but it had been a long day.

"You know..." He leaned over and kissed her neck. "I'm really proud of you."

"For what?"

"For everything you did tonight."

"Oh please... don't make it into a big deal."

"That's what she said." He said with a grin.

"You're so not funny."

"Yes, I am."

"And also, that doesn't make any sense when you say it to a girl. Because, yes. I know. I just said that."

"Still funny."

"You're an idiot."

"And you love that about me."

She scrunched her nose in annoyance, but she knew he was right. She loved everything about this man, every stupid idiotic part.

"Anyway, I was actually trying to be serious until I got distracted." He brought his hand up to her face and smiled at her. "You put all this together. You cooked everything. No one got food poisoning..." He leaned over and kissed her softly. "... yet."

She smiled against his lips. "Since you're so proud of me, you want to do something for me?"

"Absolutely..." He kissed her again, lingering for a few seconds. "I think I know just what you need." Then he stood up and walked towards the kitchen. "I'll be right back with your ice cream."

"You really know how to show a girl a good time!"

"Only for you, Kens. Only for you."


	84. I'll never unsee that

Prompt from randomly-michelle - I'll never unsee that (Send me a line of dialogue meme)

_Post Spiral (6x12)_

* * *

"That was kind of weird."

"Kind of?" Kensi laughed. "Group Zen with Eric and Nell was more than weird."

"I didn't think we were at that point in our relationship where we were doing... things in groups." The smile on Deeks' stupid face both infuriated and excited her. They were still at work and she had to maintain some sort of professionalism. But he made it so difficult when he wore those perfect fitting jeans and v-neck t-shirt. He eyed her up and down as if he wanted to devour her, and she wanted to let him... but it would have to wait until later.

"Oh, just stop it. I'm getting a mental image. I don't want a mental image. I'll never unsee that."

"Never unsee what?"

"You know... group stuff with... you know what? I'm stopping this before I end up having nightmares."

He looked around before gently brushing his fingertips along her arm. Damn it. Touches like this were rare around here and he was really, really making her want to throw professionalism out the window. He smiled. "You have nothing to worry about, Kens... I don't want to share you with anyone."

The corners of her mouth turned up, almost on their own. She couldn't help it. It seemed like a permanent smile was plastered on her face whenever he was around. "Good. I don't want to share you either."

"So, no more group activities of any kind?"

"No more."

"I can't wait to not share you with anyone when we get home."

"Me either."


	85. Sunrise

Sam slammed the door of his car shut after shoving the handcuffed assailant into the backseat. “So you think since we worked this case all through the night that Hetty’ll let us have the day off today?”

Callen laughed. “Don’t get your hopes up with that one.”

"Working sunrise to sunrise is not as easy was it used to be, I’ll tell you that."

"You saying you’re getting old, Sam?"

"Just get in the car, G."

Kensi shook her head. “There, you did it. You have a long drive back to LA with a tired cranky partner and you just made it worse.”

"It’s fine. He can’t stay mad at me. We’ll see you in couple hours."

"See ya." She turned towards the SRX, parked about fifty feet from where Sam and Callen had just pulled away. There she saw her partner. Deeks was leaning against the vehicle and staring off into the distance. Something was obviously on his mind since he usually wasn’t so quiet and distant. She wondered if it was something more than just lack of sleep.

"Hey," She said as she approached him. "Sam and Callen are taking him back to LA."

He just nodded. Even with the low light, she was still amazed at how gorgeous he was. (It felt good to not suppress those thoughts anymore.)

Finally he spoke up. “Sun’s almost up.”

"Yeah, it is. It’s been a very long day."

"It’s amazing though, isn’t it? No matter how shitty your day can be, when the next one comes, there’s hope that it won’t be so bad. You can see that there’s still beautiful things in the world." He turned his gaze towards her. "Things worth fighting for."

She felt heat rise in her face as she gazed back. “Um… do you want to start heading back?”

"Not just yet," he said shaking his head. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and extended it to her. "Watch the sunrise with me?"

A smile spread across her face and she nodded. Instead of taking his hand, she walked up to him and slid her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. They stood there in each others arms, staring at the horizon as it slowly got brighter and brighter.

She lost track of time and honestly didn’t care how long they had been standing there. As the sun crept higher, different hues of blue and yellow and orange were painted across the sky. After the previous twenty four hours filled with noise and running and chasing and adrenaline and close calls and frustration… this was a moment of quiet and peace and beauty with the man that she loved. It was moments like this that made everything they did worth while.

He leaned down and place a soft lingering kiss on her hair, breathing her in. “You want to go now?”

"No…" She tightened her grip around him. "Just a little longer."

[ _(inspired by this picture)_ ](http://instagram.com/p/xmeTbKR37P/?modal=true)


	86. Can we pretend I didn't just say that?

Kensi sighed as a Dunkin Donuts commercial appeared on the TV. "I would do anything for a donut right now."

She immediately had Deeks' attention. "Anything? Really?"

She groaned and rolled her eyes. "Can we pretend I didn't just say that?"

"Why?"

"Because I'm not doing whatever it is you're thinking about."

"How do you even know what I was going to say?" The grin on his face was beyond infuriating (and adorable).

"Oh, I know what you were going to say."

"I bet you don't."

"It was definitely about sex."

"Yeah, but you don't know what exactly."

"I have some ideas."

"That's very interesting. And what are these ideas you have?"

"I'm not answering that."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, continuing to watch TV, but not really paying attention.

"Seriously, what's the big deal?" Deeks spoke up, not able to keep his thoughts to himself for very long at all. "You like donuts  _and_  sex. So why would you be so quick to dismiss this little arrangement?"

"I'm not having sex with you in exchange for donuts."

"I don't think you know what you're missing."

"Deeks, you are so..."

She wasn't able to finish her sentence. Before her rant could even get started he brought his hand up to her face and guided his lips right to her ear. He placed a lingering kiss below her ear lobe... and then he began to whisper. The combination of his warm breath on her skin and the low growl of his voice... it was making her tremble. She sat there, her mouth hanging open, unable to move a muscle as he told her exactly what he wanted to do to her (and what he wanted her to do to him).

And he was absolutely right. She definitely didn't know what he was going to say...

His lips left a trail of kisses along her jaw. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent, savoring the feeling of his scruff against her face. He reached her lips and she was no longer motionless. She gripped the material of his shirt and pulled him even closer as their kiss deepened.

"Um... Kens?" Deeks attempted to get her attention, even though he was loving the way she was nibbling on his lower lip.

"Yeah?"

He chuckled, not able to stop himself from teasing her. "What about the donuts?"

"What donuts?" She already had all the buttons of his shirt undone and was running her fingers all over his chest.

"Never mind..."


	87. I like that you care

Prompt from closetdensishipper (and I quote) - "A MUSHY, OMG I CAN'T HANDLE ALL THESE FEELINGS, WATCH ME MELT INTO A PUDDLE POST-EP ASAP."

* * *

Deeks sat down on the couch next to Kensi. He just looked at her and smiled, wondering how long it would take for her to notice.

It didn't take long at all. "Why are you staring at me like some kind of creep?" She didn't even take her eyes off the TV.

"Oh, no reason. I just noticed something. That's all."

"What?"

"That you were making fun of my water saving tips this morning, but now you seem to be joining the cause."

"Great job, Detective. You noticed that I didn't flush. We're definitely not bringing a cactus home though."

"Because you might kill it?"

"No, because at work you're always wearing clothes."

"Ah, yes." He cringed. "Good thinking."

She finally looked over at him and rolled her eyes. He had the stupidest, most adorable smile on his face and she decided that he was just too far away. She scooted closer to him and rested her face against his neck as he wrapped his arms around her. This was something she wasn't used to before, something she could certainly do without. But now that they were no longer trying to fool themselves, she allowed herself to savor the feeling of being in his arms, breathing him in, being soothed by the sound of his heartbeat.

Everyday, she was finding more and more things about him that made her feel warm all over. Today was no exception. "I like that you care about things."

"What's that again?"

"I like that you care. The whole water thing. I know I made fun, but you're right. It's important and I like that you care so much."

He smiled against her hair before placing a kiss on her head.

"Sometimes I worry though... that you care too much." He tensed and didn't respond. This stuff was pretty scary for her but she pressed on. "Everything worked out today with Tomas and his family... but even if it hadn't... it wasn't your fault. There was nothing more you could have done."

He took in a deep breath before whispering to her. "We made them a promise."

"I know and we did everything we could to keep it." She lifted her head and placed her hand on his face, directing his gaze towards her. "I just... worry that you would have blamed yourself."

"You know..." He placed is hand over hers. "Sometimes I really wonder which side were fighting on. Are we really doing what's right? Today... watching them take that kid away from his grandfather... I thought... how could this be the right thing? How could I say that I'm one of the good guys after the way he looked at me?"

"Because you are a good guy."

He smiled and shook his head. "Wow, I almost believe that you mean that."

"Hey," She shoved him playfully. "I do mean it. I'm trying to be serious here."

"And you haven't learned that's kind of pointless with me?"

She scrunched her face, showing the perfect combination of annoyance and affection. Leaning forward, she gently pressed her lips to his. "I still mean it."

He smiled. "I know. Thank you." He whispered against her lips before bringing them together again.


	88. Too Many Margaritas

Prompt from eagerplatypus/toucheblye/tatyouhavetoomanynames - Deeks and Kensi take time off to go to Punta Cana and have too many margaritas

* * *

"So... how many margaritas did you have?"

"How many did your face have?" Kensi snorted right in Deeks' ear, thinking she was even more hilarious when she was drunk and she was so wrong.

"My face had a lot, which is why I can't feel it right now. But I'm pretty sure you had more."

"How'd you figure that out?"

"Because I'm carrying you instead of the other way around."

"Oh yeah... maybe you're right..." She tightened her grip around his neck.

They finally made it to their room, for that Deeks was eternally grateful. He didn't know how much longer he could carry his adorably wasted partner on his back, especially in his own inebriated state. He managed to unlock the door and turn a light on without falling over. Once they were next to the bed, she slid off of him and staggered on her feet.

He chuckled. "You look like a drunk baby deer."

"Shaddup." She plopped down on the bed and blinked rapidly.

He crouched down in front of her, steadying himself by placing his hands on her bare thighs. The white shorts she was wearing showed off her long tan legs perfectly and he wished she'd wear them everyday. Maybe they could stay in Punta Cana forever. They could quit their jobs and get a little place here. He could give surfing lessons to tourists and they could live carefree lives away from the stress that comes along with constantly having to save the world.

Just as Deeks was trying to figure out how exactly they'd get Monty over here, Kensi loudly interrupted his thoughts. "You say love but I don't."

"Huh?"

She said it again, just as loud. "You say love and I don't."

"Um..." He really wished he was sober for a conversation like this. He knew exactly what she was referring to but he was only able to give one syllable responses. He had admitted he was falling in love with her. He had commented on the reasons why one shouldn't fall in love. Without directly saying  _I love you_  to her, he still made it clear that's how he felt. He shook his head and blinked several times, hoping that would help his brain remember how to speak actual words. "Um... yeah, I noticed."

"Does it bother you?" Her voice had returned to a normal volume. "That I don't say it?"

"No... no, I don't think it does."

The worried look on her face told him she wasn't convinced.

He brought his hand up to her face and stroked stroked her cheek with his thumb. "You don't have to say it... for me to know it's true."

She nodded her head. "Yes, right. Because it is true. It's just... hard for me to say it... I haven't said it in a long time..."

"I know. It's okay, Kens. You don't have to worry about it right now."

"I just... want you to know... I want to say it, but not now... because... too many margaritas..." Her eyes were drooping shut.

A wide smile spread across his face, convinced now more than ever that he loved this woman. Her eyes were completely shut now and she started to fall into him. He managed to catch her and lay her down on the bed as he cuddled up next to her. "Kens?" She was out.

He smiled, kissed her temple, whispered  _I love you_ , and then fell asleep too.


	89. Snack Time

Deeks just stared, speechless for a moment, as Kensi settled into bed next to him. Damn it, she looked gorgeous. Her face freshly washed, her hair falling in perfect shining waves, the plain black tank top and panties that he knew he'd be removing soon. Every day was an adventure with her. For all the things he was discovering that he loved about her, there were also things that drove him insane. This time, it was the plate of cookies that she had brought with her and set on the nightstand. She picked one up and bit off half of it at once.

He finally found his voice. "Why are you eating those in bed?"

"Why not?" She mumbled with her mouth full.

"I asked you first."

"There's no reason why I shouldn't be eating cookies in bed. Cookies should be eaten everywhere."

"I can think of many reasons why not. One of them being that you're making a mess. There are crumbs everywhere."

"Oh, so what. So there's a couple more nuts around here." She let out a snort at her own joke, which Deeks found terrible and adorable all at the same time.

"Wow. Really?"

"You're just mad because I'm not sharing."

"I'd be mad if you did share. Those things taste funny."

"Hey, I worked hard on them."

"Yeah, you did." He couldn't help but smile, remembering the scene from her kitchen earlier in the day when she decided on a whim to do something domestic. Flour was everywhere. Broken eggs were sitting on the counter. Kensi searched every cupboard for ingredients, asking loudly if baking powder and baking soda were the same thing. It was complete chaos. "But I think I preferred it when you bought cookies and then pretended you made them yourself."

She glared at him. "They taste fine."

"Did you see yourself while you were making them? You weren't even using real measuring cups or spoons. Just throwing stuff together like a sexy mad scientist."

"All the good cooks do that."

"Yeah, maybe they do. But you're not one of them."

"Well, fine. More for me."

"And more crumbs in our bed."

"Our bed? Last I checked this was my bed."

"It is." He rolled on his side and began tracing his fingers along her arm. "And you love it when I'm in your bed."

"I could make you leave anytime." Damn, his touch was distracting. As much as she'd love to kick that smug face out of bed and teach him a lesson, she also knew how easy he could make her cave.

"I'm sure you could. But you don't want me to, do you?"

Suddenly, he reached over and snatched the half eaten cookie from her hand, holding it out of her reach, grinning like an idiot.

"What the hell?! Gimme that back." She launched herself over him but still couldn't quite reach. He swung his leg over her, pinning her in place while she squirmed, clawing at his arm. He started laughing and she looked dangerously frustrated (and also sexy as hell).

"You are unbelievable, you know that?"

"Just hand it over or else..."

Before she could finish her threat, he dropped the cookie into the bin next to the bed. And just as she was about to release a tirade on him, he threaded his fingers through her hair and brought her lips to his, kissing her fiercely. As always when he kissed her like this, she tensed at first, still furious at him... but then as warmth spread through her whole body, she melted into him and returned his kiss. The hand that had been fighting him for the cookie, now was slowly running up and down his bare back, gently scraping her nails across his soft smooth skin. Everything from before was forgotten as he rolled over on top of her, settling between her legs, continuing to kiss her senseless. His hand slid under her tank top, softly brushing his thumb against the side of her breast. He broke the kiss and smiled down at her as she let out a whimper. He loved teasing her, whether it was for her annoying habits or lousy baking skills or like this. Giving her a taste of what she wanted and purposefully holding back... for now.

"Or else what?" He asked in a low growl.

"Or else... I'll..." She lost her train of thought as his thumb brushed over her nipple, causing her to gasp and arch into him.

He lifted the material up to her chin and began leaving a path of kisses all over her exposed skin, moving lower and lower. "How about I show you my favorite thing to eat in bed."

"Um..." Her brain was just not working, too overwhelmed by the touch of his lips. She was practically shaking with anticipation as he hooked his fingers into her panties and pulled them down.

"I'll take that as a yes."


	90. I Take It Back

Alternate version of Fighting Shadows (6x18) sneak peak

* * *

"Come on. Last one. Let's do this. Attack the ground." Kensi shouted to Deeks as he ran away from her.

"I don't know why we can't run like normal human beings." The bungee cord that linked them together was dragging him backwards. "This is so weird and unnatural."

She laughed. "Quit being a sally. You'll find muscles you didn't know you had."

"What are you talking about? I've got muscles in all the right places. I'm a lean, mean sex machine." He turned around, resting his hands on his hips and breathing heavily. "At least that's what my ladybird says."

Damn, she was really hoping he forgot about that. She should have known better. Calling him a sex machine meant he would never forget and would bring it up as often as possible. But she couldn't be held responsible for her actions at the time. After her third orgasm in a row (or was it the fourth?), she was too delirious to think straight. Her body was still trembling, her legs wrapped around his waist, her nails embedded into the skin of his back, her brain turned to complete mush. Nope, there was no way she could have stopped herself.

"I never said that." Wow, could she sound any less convincing?

"You said it to me three days ago." He used the bungee cord to reel her in and she let him. Even in his exhausted state, she was too distracted by the flexing muscles in his arms and chest to resist him. "You actually whispered it in my ear. You bit said ear, which kinda hurt, but I also kinda liked it."

"Well..." She was too stubborn to give him the advantage here. "I take it back."

"You can't take it back. I still have teeth marks on my ear."

"I mean I take back saying you're a sex machine."

"Oh yeah?" She was right in front of him now. He wrapped his arm around her waist. He pulled her into him, so their bodies were flush against each other. As if on their own, her hands came up and rested on his arms. He whispered against her lips. "You want me to prove it to you? Right here, right now?"

He didn't wait for her to answer, kissing her softly. She couldn't help but whimper in disappointment when he pulled away. The smug grin on his face was infuriating but it was also hot as hell. "What do you say? The car's not far away. And I'd love to make you take back that you take it back."

Right as she was about to cave (both loving and hating that he had this effect on her), she noticed something across the field.

"Don't look. There's someone taking pictures at your 5 o'clock."

He slowly released his grip on her and turned around, running his fingers through his hair.

"What did I just say?"

"What? That was natural."

The brunette woman took her camera, got into her car and drove away. Kensi walked a few steps in her direction. "No plates."

"Are you sure she was taking pictures of us?"

"Yeah. I mean, do you think I'm being paranoid?"

Deeks felt his phone vibrate. He took it out of his pocket and touched the screen. "They need us in ops. I guess you'll have to take a rain check on the sex machine demonstration."

"I'd like to see you try." No, seriously, she would.

"Look alive."

"Wha-" Forgetting they were still attached, her arms flailed as he dragged her over to the car.


	91. Are you good?

_Post Field of Fire (episode 6x22) drabble_

* * *

"Agent Blye, may I have a word?"

Kensi turned when she heard the gruff voice of the assistant director. "Um... sure. Just a minute."

"I'll be in the armory."

It was the end of the day and she was just about to walk out the door with Deeks. She had no idea why Granger wanted to talk to her. Should she be nervous?

"Um, I guess I'll see you later."

"Yeah," Deeks sighed. "I have to meet Byron anyway. Later it will have to be."

"Well, you two have fun."

"Oh, I bet I'll have as much fun with Byron as you will with Granger."

She scrunched her nose at him and squeezed his arm before heading towards the armory. She found Granger staring at the wall of weapons with his hands in his pockets.

"You wanted to see me?"

He turned towards her. His expression was unreadable as always. "You did good today."

"Oh, um, thank you."

"And not just with the shot. Interviewing the family, going undercover in the hospital. You did excellent work."

She was feeling a little uncomfortable with his sincerity. Normally Granger just barked orders or silently judged those around him. Very rarely did he express praise or gratitude.

"Thank you, sir. We all did."

"Yes, they did. But they haven't been through what you have."

And then it became abundantly clear to her. Afghanistan. She had been home for over a year and honestly life had been good. Great even. Especially in the last several months as her relationship with Deeks seemed to brighten everything in her life. But that didn't stop all the nightmares or the panic. There were times when she'd have to try harder to forget the really bad stuff. And sometimes she couldn't at all.

Times like today. For the second time in her life, she saw a traumatized ex-marine through the scope of her sniper rifle and been told to pull the trigger. Thankfully, she didn't end up taking their lives, but the first one still haunted her. What if she had taken the shot before she saw his face? The thought made her physically ill, and she was determined to not let that happen today either. Only this time she had her team backing her up. They were able to stop a tragedy and get Connor the help he needed.

"I know I asked you this before, but... are you good?"

She gave him a slight smile. It was easy to write Granger off as a grumpy bastard who just wanted to make everyone around him miserable. But she realized that she didn't notice his other side often enough. As the one who watched out for her for months on end when she was far from home. As the one who helped make sure she didn't die there. As the one who was a friend and ally to her father many years ago. "I'm good. I really am."

"Okay, but if you're ever not good... if anything we ask of you is ever too much... you let me know."

"I will."

"And I will hold you to that, Agent Blye." He smiled as warmly as his stoic face could manage. "Go home and get some rest. You deserve it."

"Thank you."

As she walked to the exit, she smiled. In the midst of the terrible things she's witnessed and endured, she could be confident in the people who would always have her back. And she was thankful that Owen Granger was one of them.


	92. I'm glad you're by my side

Conversation during the plane ride over to Moscow. Chernoff, K. (episode 6x24) speculation.

* * *

"Deeks, you alright?"

"Hmmm..." He seemed to be woken out of a waking dream. "What was that?"

"You're just staring off into nowhere."

"Yeah... I don't know. Just thinking about the mission. And some other stuff."

Kensi had been sitting next to her unusually silent partner for a few hours. They had a long ways to go before they landed in Moscow and she knew something was bothering him. Sure, they had a dangerous mission ahead of them, tracking down a sadistic terrorist with a literal boat load of oil... but it seemed to be more than that.

She felt very out of practice in playing the part of supportive girlfriend but she had to try. "You know, you don't have to worry about the IA investigation. It's gonna get figured out."

"That wasn't what I was thinking about."

"Oh..."

He sighed and reached for her hand, interlacing their fingers. "I was thinking... about the last time I was on a plane, on my way to an assignment on the other side of the world."

And then it all became clear to Kensi. Deeks had not been on a plane since going to Afghanistan last year.

"It had been months since I last saw you. I was almost getting used to it." He chuckled but there was no humor in his voice. He still wasn't looking at her. "And I hated that. I hated that I would wake up every morning knowing that I wouldn't see your face. And then we got called into ops early one morning and Nell told us you were missing and I..."

His mouth was open, but he couldn't manage to continue. Kensi gave him a moment to gather himself. She knew he wanted to get this out and she wanted to give him that chance.

"I've never been more terrified in my life. I was on that plane and we were on our way to find you and I had to hold onto the slightest shred of hope that you were still alive. I was clinging to that for dear life. It was the only thing holding me together."

"Deeks..." She placed her other hand on his chest. "I'm here now. And it's thanks to you."

He finally looked her in the eyes and smiled. It wasn't the usual mischievous grin that she had grown to love. The corners of his mouth were just slightly turned up, but with this look of his he communicated volumes of his devotion to her. Heat rose up in her face and she smiled back.

"No matter what we're up against when we land..." He brought her hand up to his mouth and placed a gentle lingering kiss on the back of her hand. "No matter what, I'm glad you're by my side."

Her smile grew. Then she leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Same here, partner."


	93. Oh fuck, OH FUCK

Prompt from hermionesmydawg - Sam and Deeks: "Oh fuck, OH FUCK" (dialogue only fic meme from Tumblr)

* * *

"Oh fuck, OH FUCK."

"Oh come on, Deeks. Stop being such a baby."

"A baby? Not everyone in the world is as experienced in this as you are, Sam."

"Your problem is that you're going too fast. Just slow down and ease yourself into it."

"I'd rather get this over with if you don't mind."

"Trust me, Deeks. You'll regret it if you rush through this."

"Too late. I already regret it."

"Just a little bit more."

"Shit, I feel like my insides are being torn apart."

"That's okay. That feeling's temporary."

"I can't believe you do this every day."

"You'll get used to it. And believe me, you'll even start to look forward to it."

"That seems very unlikely. Hey, where's your partner? Wouldn't you rather do this with Callen?"

"He'd rather sleep in."

"Yeah, I suppose he definitely needs the beauty rest."

"Plus, it's fun to mix it up sometimes with different partners."

"Yeah, I'm having a blast."

"Okay, I think you suffered enough."

"Really? Thank God."

"Just ten more squats and we'll call it a day."

"Ten?! Why not a hundred?!"

"You really want to do a hundred? Because I could do a hundred more, no problem."

"No, no, no. Ten is fine. Great, even. But, seriously, Sam. This is the last time I work out with you."


	94. Please come get me

Prompt from godyoutalkpretty - Densi: "Please come get me" (dialogue only fic meme from Tumblr)

* * *

Deeks smiled when he looked down at his ringing phone. "Hey there, Fern. You miss me already?"

"Um… not really."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Totally fine. One thing though… could you please come get me?"

"Of course. You're not having car trouble, are you?"

"Sort of."

"That shouldn't happen. You took the new SRX, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, what happened?"

"Deeks, I'm fine. Just… I'll explain when you get here."

"I can't believe that thing crapped out on you already. Hetty's not going to be happy when -"

"Ugh, Deeks! I got into an accident, okay? I rear ended someone and the airbags went off and now the car has to be towed. You happy? Now can you just come get me?"

"Oh shit, Kens. That car is just a week old!"

"Saying things I already know is not helping."

"Aw, that sucks. That thing was all fancy and new. I'm going to miss it when Hetty makes us ride around in a Ford Pinto from now on."

"You are really not helping. Coming to get me. That would be helping."

"Seriously, it had so many fancy features."

"I'm sorry for your loss. I'm fine, by the way."

"Hahaha, I know what happened!"

"Of course, you do, you idiot. I just told you what happened."

"No, it's the proximity warnings in the seat. You liked the vibrating so you were veering into stuff on purpose and got too close."

"Have you lost your mind?"

"You know, if you were looking for a good time, that's what I'm here for."

"You're lucky the car is being hauled away otherwise I'd run you over."

"Okay, I'll be right there."


	95. I'm gonna be sick

Prompt from holysmoakingqueens (AKA TAT I HEART YOU) - Densi: "I'm gonna be sick" (dialogue only fic meme from Tumblr)

* * *

"I'm gonna be sick."

"Kens, I told you not to eat that whole pint."

"But... but... it was Häagan-Dazs. Peanut butter pie. I had no choice."

"Yes, you did. You just didn't want to share."

"You could have gotten your own."

"Why? So I could be just as miserable as you are now?"

"No... so I could eat yours later on when you're not looking."

"You are unbelievable."

"Shut up. I'm seriously not okay right now."

"Maybe we should go for a run. That might make you feel better."

"Very funny, Deeks. That might make me puke all over you."

"You are such a delicate flower."

"Hold on, I think I have to burp."

"Really, Kens, I don't need you to tell me... and there you did it. Wow, that was impressive. I'm pretty sure the neighbors thought that was an earthquake. They're bracing themselves for the aftershocks as we speak."

"Ah, that was great. I feel so much better."

"Well good. I hope you learned your lesson."

"Yeah. Next time buy two pints. I think I want some more."


	96. Just trying to help

Prompt from christineisalongname - Densi: "Don't you fucking touch me" (dialogue only fic meme from Tumblr)

* * *

"Don't you fucking touch me."

"Relax, Kens. I'm just trying to help."

"No, no. Stay away. I hurt everywhere."

"Well, that's no surprise after the day we had."

"Right. In fact, don't even look at me because I think even that hurts."

"Really? Now you're asking the impossible. Even in your beat up, cranky state, you're still pretty sexy."

"Deeks, I'm not kidding. I will summon what little energy I have left and kick your ass."

"Ha! I'd like to see you try. Actually on second thought, don't because I believe you'd do it."

"It's nice to see you're learning."

"Now, come on. I bet I could make you feel better. Just let me try."

"No, no, stop, just go away... um... just... okay, wow..."

"What was that? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you liked that. But I'll stop if you really want me to."

"Deeks, seriously. I will definitely kick your ass if you stop."

"Okay, whatever you say, Kens."

 


	97. One day at a time

AU firing range scene from Omni (5x03)

* * *

They just stood there, staring at each other until it started to feel awkward. It's so strange. They've been partners for years. He's the last person who she should feel awkward around. But she supposed there was too much unsaid between them. Feelings and emotions that have been growing right before their eyes, yet neither able to put any of it into words or actions.

That was until he grabbed her face and kissed her on that hillside. That was until she almost lost her partner. Even after he was rescued, he quietly slipped away, avoiding her as he struggled with the memory of his trauma.

Right now, seeing him in the shooting range made her heart soar. He had been broken, but not beyond repair. He may still be figuring out how to go back to his normal life (if you could call it normal), but he's a hell of a lot better than he was a few weeks ago.

She blinked rapidly and swallowed hard, suppressing a sudden wave of emotion that threatened to spill over. She could have lost him forever, and yet here he was, standing right in front of her, close enough she could reach out and touch him… so why not? She still didn't know how to tell him what he meant to her and how happy she was that he was still here… but she could show him.

She reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his neck. He was stunned at first, but soon followed her lead. He held her close and rested his face against her hair as her grip tightened around him. She breathed in his familiar scent and sighed with relief. He was here and he going to be okay and she never wanted to let him go.

He said he was back and would take it one day at a time. He may have been talking about work when he said that, but maybe that's exactly what they needed to do to make it through this together.


	98. Never Say Never

“How’s your neck? It seemed like it was bothering you yesterday.”

“Yes, it was. It was awful, but I feel much better now. Deeks massaged it for me last night.”

It had been far too long since Nell and Kensi spent anytime together. So one day after their case was wrapped up, they decided to leave the boys behind and have a drink at Nell’s favorite bar.

“Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“Thanks. Me too. Deeks is really good with his hands.”

A mischievous smile spread across Nell’s face. “Oh, I bet he is.”

Kensi nearly spit out her mouthful of beer. “What? Oh my god, that’s not what I meant at all!”

“Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Kensi.”

“It was just a massage. That’s all I meant.”

“So you’re saying he’s not good with his hands?” Nell teased, narrowing her eyes.

Kensi sighed and then finally smiled. “Okay, fine.” This is what girlfriends talk about, right? And she did consider Nell a friend. “He is. Very good. In every sense of the word.”

“I figured.”

“Excuse me, what? You what?”

“I said I figured. A guy like Deeks… he’s really thoughtful and generous so naturally he’d be like that in bed too.”

“Um… okay… you think about what Deeks would be like in bed?”

“Of course. But not just him. I think about Callen and Sam and Eric. Hell, even you.” She winked playfully.

Kensi was thankful she wasn’t taking a drink at the moment. “Nell, I think I underestimated you.”

“Most people do. They think that just because I have an innocent-looking face, that I’m… you know… innocent.”

Kensi laughed and took another sip. “I won’t be making that mistake again.”

“Good, because I have fun talking about this stuff.”

“So… how much time do you spend at work thinking about… that?”

“Not the whole time. But seriously, there are more reasons I love my job other than getting to save the world every day.”

“Yeah, I hear you. We work with some really beautiful people.”

“But of course, I’d never act on anything. I mean, you and Deeks are a thing and Sam is married and Eric is… I don’t know about Eric.” Nell took another drink of her beer.

“I noticed you didn’t mention Callen.”

There was that mischievous smile again. “Well, never say never.”


	99. Both Ways

My story [Both Ways](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4469762) was posted as the 99th chapter to [this drabble series](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9850790/1/You-All-Deserve-Each-Other) on FanFiction.net.


	100. Because I like you

_Based on Chernoff, K. (6x24) deleted scene_

* * *

She felt off since being in the woods with him. Sure, tensions were high and there was a lot at stake and there was still so much that could go horribly wrong. But that wasn't what was bothering her.

The conversation about her dad filled her with warm and happy memories. Talking about him with her partner was comfortable and natural. They very easily could have been at home, relaxing and enjoying each others' company, like they do most nights. She would be curled up against him, sharing a much cherished story and he would hold her and listen and smile. Despite being on the other side of the world, wearing tactical gear and carrying assault rifles, being with him made her feel comfortable and content.

Which was why she slipped up.

It wasn't like she never said  _I love you_  before. Far from it. At this point, it was a daily occurrence and had been since deciding to go all in. She meant it when she said she wanted to be bold and that included finally admitting that she loved him. (He said it back right away and of course didn't miss the opportunity to tease her, that she just had to beat him at saying it first.)

So why did she backtrack? Why change  _love_  to  _like_  at this moment? Why brush him off when he noticed and tried taunting her for it? Why be cold and detached when he saved her from an attack?

At first, it was easy. She had made a deliberate choice in the start of their relationship to keep personal and professional separate. At work, this meant no unnecessary touching, no showing of emotions, no letting on to anyone the depth of her feelings for her partner. While at home, she would let her guard down, savoring touches and smiles and expressions of love. It was important to stay focused while on the job. There was too much at stake, especially the safety of the man she loved.

But as more time went on, more time spent with him, more moments of tenderness and happiness seeped into every part of her life. She could no longer just be casually impressed with his detective skills. She had to let him know all the effects he was having on her. She couldn't bring up her father without saying what he would think of partner (and also boyfriend).

And that's why she took it back. Without even realizing what was happening, it became abundantly clear how much this man had become a part of her whole life. And how much she loved him. The illusion of control crumbed right before her and she resorted to her old ways of denying and deflecting and giving into frustration. He let it go, mostly because they had an important mission to complete. But she couldn't seem to stop thinking about all this...

* * *

They all stood up from their seats and made their way for the door. It was nice to have some espresso before their flight home (even without the vodka). As Deeks' hand touched the door, Kensi reached for his arm. He stopped and looked at her, holding up the rest of the team from exiting. His brow was furrowed, not sure what was going on... but then his heart soared when she smiled at him and said the words loud enough for their co-workers (and boss) to hear.  _I love you._ The corners of his mouth turned up slightly for a few moments before turning a huge grin. He said the words back, barely even noticing the shaking heads and rolling eyes behind them. They left the cafe, hand in hand, not caring one bit that Sam, Callen, and Hetty could see.


	101. No Matter What

Post Active Measures (7x01)

* * *

"I am seriously gonna have nightmares, thanks to you." Kensi shuddered as she climbed into the driver's seat.

"What?" Deeks laughed, throwing his bag into the back after settling in his seat. "You're overreacting."

"Overreacting? You're the one with the overactive imagination. Especially with Hetty."

"I don't think I'm imagining anything. I guarantee that of all the secret rooms Hetty has in her house, at least one of them has got to have harnesses and whips and…"

She was about to place the key in the ignition, but she stopped and held up her hands. "You stop right there."

"You mean you don't want to hear about the sex swings?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Since when do you not want to hear about sex swings?" He laughed.

"Since it just so happens to be about Hetty. I don't know why you had to ruin such a sweet moment with all this Fifty Shades weirdness."

"Yeah…" His voice trailed off for a moment. "That's what Hetty is. Sweet." All the humor seemed to leave him and Kensi was left wondering what just happened. It was their typical  _Deeks teases Kensi while she pretends to hate it_ banter. It was a part of their everyday routine, a part that she had grown to love. Being with Deeks meant a lot of laughing and a lot of eye-rolling. But there were also times she had to figure out what kind of mood he was really in. And for the second time today, she was trying to figure him out.

"Look, I know she may have crossed the line with the tasing, but it all worked out at the end of the day."

"And that's what's important, right? Not that things almost went completely to hell in the process."

There was so much bitterness in that statement, Kensi didn't know how to respond.

"I'm sorry…" He sighed. "I just have a hard time feeling sentimental towards Hetty."

"You didn't used to."

"Yeah, well, things are different now."

Even though they never really talked about it, Kensi knew that Deeks blamed Hetty for a lot that went wrong with her Afghanistan mission. If she allowed herself to dwell on it, she would start to blame her too. But she tried her best to brush it off. Everyone made it home safe and she kept telling herself that was the most important thing. Most of the time she was able to believe it.

He was right. Things were different. As much as Deeks still did his job to the best of his ability and he still took orders from Hetty each and everyday, Kensi noticed a subtle change. There wasn't the same teasing, the same smiles, the same trust that was once there. Deeks spent most of his career trusting no one and getting by on his own. When he was hired by Hetty, it seemed that he had found a place where he could trust and respect his co-workers and his superiors.

But that trust and respect had been shattered the moment Hetty put Kensi on that plane to Afghanistan. And it seemed to be broken beyond repair.

Kensi took in a deep breath. As frustrated as she was with him at times (especially when she knew he was keeping something from her), she understood more than most people how Deeks operated. He went so long without having anyone to trust, that sometimes he still kept her at arms' length. He did trust her fully and he loved her without a single doubt. But sometimes, old habits were very hard to break and old fears didn't go away overnight.

In a moment of clarity, she realized that she needed to keep reminding him that she, more than anyone else, was the person he could trust most. No matter who else has let him down or turned their backs to him or left him all alone, she was never going to be one of those people.

She reached over and took his hand. She interlaced their fingers and waited for him to make eye contact with her. When he did, she saw the same confused, scared, uncertain look from earlier in the day. She squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile.

"I love you, Marty." She said softly. "No matter what."

 _No matter what_  meant he didn't have to be scared of his past. He didn't have to hide anything from her. It meant that even if she was hurt or angered by anything that came to light, she would never leave him alone, never stop fighting for him, never stop loving him. It meant that when he was ready to talk, she'd be ready to listen.

He smiled and let out a little chuckle. "And how do you feel about Party Marty?" His voice was still quiet, but his mood was definitely lighter.

She leaned over the center console and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "I guess I love him too."


	102. I look forward to it

Post Citadel Drabble

* * *

"So you really think she likes me?"

"Of course, she does." Deeks reached for her arm, pulling her closer so he could place his hand on her hip. "What's not to like?" The smile on his face nearly made all her anxiety (and annoyance) fade.

"Well, for one thing I can't cook." She smiled back, resting her hands on his chest.

"That's for sure, but there's a few other things you're good at." He kissed her softly. "I wish you didn't have to go."

"Deeks, I'm not spending the night when your mom is staying with you, especially when I just met her a few hours ago."

"Okay, fine. Maybe we'll wait until tomorrow night."

Kens narrowed her eyes at him, but just couldn't stop smiling. He was an idiot, in more than one way. Sometimes he loved pushing her buttons, saying things that would purposely gross her out or piss her off. And she kind of not so secretly loved it when he did that. But sometimes he was just an idiot. Like hiding the fact that his mom was in town for two days and then introducing her without any prior warning. When was the last time she was the girlfriend being introduced to her boyfriend's mother? It was so long ago, she barely remembered. Even though she wasn't quite ready to admit it, this was the last time she wanted it to happen. Despite being a bundle of nerves when she realized what was being sprung on her, she was herself and his mom really seemed to like her.

Dinner was delicious and the conversations were fun and easy. When it was time for Kensi to go home, she said good-bye to his mother and he walked with her to his new front porch.

She took in a deep breath, loving being this close to him, but hating that there still seemed to be obstacles in their way at times. Her compulsive need for perfection. His tendency to not be forthcoming with her. Overly flirty DEA agents. She looked up at him. "Don't do this to me again, okay? You could have just told me she was here."

"I can definitely promise you that, since I won't be introducing you to my mom for the first time ever again."

The annoyance was starting to surface again, until she remembered her conversation with Sam.  _Seek to understand, then be understood._  "I mean it." She spoke gently. "You can tell me stuff. You don't have to hide anything from me. I can take it."

His smile faded a bit and he looked down, understanding her full meaning. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I guess it's still so easy for me to act like it's just me on my own."

"Well, you're not. I'm here with you, and I'm not going anywhere, Deeks… Well, I am actually. I'm going home. But you know what I mean."

He laughed, holding her closer. "Yeah, I do. Thanks, babe." He leaned down to kiss her again.

"Hey, Martin!" They broke apart and saw his mother, laughing in the window. "If you want to make out with your girlfriend, you don't have to hide on the porch. You're a grown man in your own house. You can make out wherever you want." She chuckled to herself as she walked away from the window.

Kensi buried her face in his chest, trying to decide if she should die of embarrassment or laugh her ass off.

"Wow… that's my mom."

"Yeah," Kensi's voice was muffled by his t-shirt. "She's hilarious. I see where you get your awesome sense of humor."

"You love it. And when she's around you can expect double the fun."

She lifted her head, looked him in the eyes, and smiled. "I look forward to it."

 


	103. Without

Post Driving Miss Diaz

* * *

Kensi stood in front of her desk gathering her things as everyone else said good bye. She was still smiling from the little picture show that left Hetty more than a little embarrassed. Their operations manager was not easily rattled and it was nice to see that she was actually human sometimes.

Even though she knew he was there, she still startled a little when Deeks came up behind her, resting his hands on her hips.

"Hey, Princess, you ready to go home?" He spoke softly into her ear, sending a delightful shiver down her spine. She loved this part of the day, when their work was done and she didn't have to worry about appearances or professionalism with her partner. She could just enjoy him as her boyfriend.

She turned around, staying close to him. Lifting her hands, she ran them slowly up and down his arms as he tightened his hold on her. Damn, did he look amazing in that suit today, but right now she was grateful for there being less layers between them. (And she couldn't wait for there to be even less later on.)

She couldn't resist teasing him a little more. "Are you sure you want to go home with me? Isn't Catalina more your kind of girl? I'm pretty sure I misplaced my blow-torch."

He laughed. "Wow, you are hilarious. It's a good thing I love you for your sense of humor."

"Yeah..." She leaned up and kissed his jaw. "I'm the luckiest girl ever."

A serious look came across his face, but he was still smiling. His gaze was really intense and she couldn't look away as heat rose in her face.

He took in a deep breath and then spoke softly. "You know... she doesn't even compare to you. Sure, she's beautiful and rich and famous and everything... but she's without."

A wave of warmth and happiness moved through her even as she stifled a laugh. "Seriously? You're gonna quote Patrick Verona to me and think I wouldn't notice?"

"Well, it's better than giving advice off of a bottle of face wash. Plus, it's the truth."

She scrunched her nose at him, still smiling. She moved her hands from his arms to his chest. "You ready to go home?"

"Sure." He leaned down and kissed her softly. "But first, let's see if we can find that blow-torch somewhere."

 


	104. Can I Keep You?

NSFW prompt from maybemadmarie - Can I keep you?

* * *

Kensi was so close. Everything about this was one hundred percent wrong, but she wasn't about to stop him.

It had just started out as routine practice in the shooting range. Then Deeks seemed to get bored. So he placed his weapon down and turned his attention to her. He stepped back and watched her as she emptied clip after clip into the center mass of her targets. From the day he met her, Deeks always thought she was beautiful. But over the years, he discovered that her other qualities were just as sexy as her looks. Like being a kickass federal agent who could outrun any suspect and hold her own in any fight and throw a knife with deadly accuracy. Kensi Blye was irresistable to him, especially Bad-Ass Kensi Blye.

So who could blame him for getting closer when she placed her Sig on the tray in front of her.

"Not bad, Kens. Not bad at all."

She smiled at him as she took off her ear muffs. "Thanks, partner. You would have done better if you didn't give up."

"I didn't give up. I just got distracted."

"Well, that's not good. What if there were people around shooting at us? You can't get distracted then."

He reached up and took off her safety glasses. "I don't see anyone else around right now. Do you?"

"Deeks, what are you doing?" She laughed nervously as he stepped even closer to her.

"Getting distracted." The slight smile on his face and the intense look in his eyes was making it very difficult for her to think rationally.

And that's how she found herself pressed up against the lane divider with her partner's lips on hers. The smell of gunpowder and feel of his lean hard body was intoxicating.

That must be why she didn't protest when he unbuttoned her jeans and slid his hand into her panties.

The furthest thing from her mind was how incredibly unprofessional this was, how they could get caught at any moment, how target practice would always make her super horny from now on. Well, hornier than usual.

The only thing on her mind right now was how close she was, how expertly he was moving his fingers against her, how she was wanting his mouth all over her.

A sharp intake of her breath let him know she was there. He covered her mouth with his, stifling her moans as she shuddered against him. He slowed the movements of his hand, easing her down from her release.

Her eyes fluttered open and saw that self-satisfied smirk of his that she had grown to love. She was glad he was still standing so close, because she wasn't totally sure her legs worked right now. She smiled up at him. "Can I keep you?"

"Definitely." He leaned down and kissed her again. "Getting distracted is fun, isn't it?"

 


	105. It's like you want to ruin women for me

NSFW prompt from hermionesmydawg - "It's like you want to ruin women for me." She didn't specify which relationship, but I know she wanted Ice Cream :)

* * *

There was silence inside the Challenger, but it was anything but peaceful. Sam gripped the steering wheel, with so much anger and frustration, it wouldn't have been a surprise if it broke right in his hands. Then there was Deeks, sitting the passenger seat using all of his strength to keep from laughing.

"Sam, you good?"

"Don't even talk to me right now, Deeks."

"Oh, come on. Don't be like that."

"I'll be like how ever I want to be like. And right now, I want to pissed at you."

"I don't know why you'd be pissed. Everything went great. We pulled of the op, got our suspect, no one got hurt. It couldn't have been more perfect."

Sam grunted, still scowling straight ahead.

Deeks smiled, not able to help myself. He was playing with fire, but he didn't care one bit. "Is this all because I kissed you to create a diversion?"

"What do you think?"

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?"

"The only reason I'm not kicking your ass right now is because it actually worked."

"You didn't even enjoy it a little?" Deeks trying to act hurt, but couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"I'm warning you. You better cut this shit out."

"I know you definitely enjoyed it. The way you were kissing me back, it was like you wanted to ruin women for me."

"Deeks, you better shut the hell up. And not a word of this to anyone, got it?"

"Yeah, you're right. We won't want anyone to get jealous."

Sam shook his head. "I highly doubt Kensi would be jealous."

"Kensi? I was thinking Callen."

"If you think I wouldn't push you out of this car while it's still moving, then please keep talking."


	106. You wanna help me out of this?

NSFW prompt from raccoonsmate4life - "You wanna help me out of this suit?"

**A/N:**   _I changed this prompt a little to make it fit as a missing scene from Command & Control (7x04). I'm sure raccoon lady won't mind :)_

* * *

"Hurry up, Kens. The sooner you change the sooner we can get out of here."

"Just a minute." Kensi threw her own clothes behind the curtain in the changing area. She was definitely anxious to get out of this dress that cost more than her first car. But not quite yet. She looked around to see if anyone was paying attention and was happy to find that no one seemed to be in earshot. "Hey, Deeks, could you come here for a second?"

She heard him sigh, get up from his desk, and then walk in her direction. When he saw she was still in the dress and heels, he looked confused. "What's the matter?"

Her eyebrows arched as she smiled. "Nothing." He was about to speak, when she grabbed the front of this shirt and hauled him behind the curtain with her.

"Kens… what the hell…" She never let him finish that sentence. She pulled him forward and covered his mouth with hers. At first she could feel him chuckle against her lips, surprised at her sudden movements. But then his chuckle turned into a moan as the kiss deepened. His hands made their way to her hips, pulling her flush against him. Before she completely forgot that they were still at work, she broke the kiss and smiled up at him.

'So…" His voice was a low whisper and it was doing things to her. "You called me over here so you could attack me and take advantage of me? Well, Miss Blye, I'd have to say I approve very much." He leaned down and kissed her again.

"Well, actually… I did need your help with something. You wanna help me out of this dress?"

His nervous laugh was beyond adorable. "Don't you think we should wait until we're home for that?"

She cleared her throat and took a step back. She turned around, still looking back at him. "Just the zipper, Deeks. I can't really reach."

"Oh… the zipper. Right, I knew what you meant."

He reached up and held the tab with one hand, placing his other on her shoulder. This should have taken no time at all. A simple downward motion and then his assistance would no longer be required. But what was the fun in that? Slowly… so very slowly… he pulled down the zipper, the metallic sound cutting through the tension in the air. As more and more of her skin was exposed, she felt a shiver course through her. He continued down until he reached the small of her back. She trembled and let out a soft sigh as he gently caressed his hand along her spine. She remembered being Rachel over the past week and trembling when their suspect would be close to her, placing his hands on her waist, kissing her cheek and her lips… but it was for entirely different reasons. She was successful at making it seem like it was out of infatuation and not revulsion. But this… this effect that Marty Deeks had on her… nothing compared to this.

He stepped closer, resting his hands on her hips and placed a soft kiss right behind her ear. She then took his hands and moved to wrap his arms around her. For a few wonderful moments, they stood like that, his arms around her, his face pressed against her hair. This moment of quiet with the man she loved was just what she needed at the end of this case. She had told Callen she was great, but it didn't mean that everything had been easy. It didn't mean that she had no problem pretending to be interested in another man. What it did mean was that she was relieved beyond belief that it was over.

Could she have unzipped her dress by herself? Sure, but she really needed this right now.

Deeks whispered in her ear. "You okay?"

She turned her head towards him. "I am now."

"How about you finish taking off that ridiculous dress, I'll take you home, you can put on some comfortable clothes and then I'll make you breakfast?"

A smile broke out across her face. "Frittata?"

He tightened his grip around her and kissed her neck. "Anything for my girl."

 


	107. Tease

NSFW prompt from divergent338 - I think you'll be happy to know that I'm not wearing any underwear.

* * *

Eric had turned off the communication screen and shortly after Callen left to meet up with Sam.

They had their instructions on what to do next, but as Deeks pushed off the table and turned around towards his partner, he found himself slightly distracted.

While they were in the boat shed, Kensi was just supposed to be his partner. They made an effort to stay focused on their jobs while at work, but sometimes it wasn't so easy. Like now, seeing her perched on the table reminded him of this morning. She had done a similar thing after making her way downstairs for breakfast. As he was making coffee, she hopped up on the counter next to him, wearing nothing but one of his plaid button up shirts. She would always grumble about how ugly it was when he wore it, but somehow it never looked better on her. (He was certain it had something to do with the fact that most of the buttons were undone. And also her perfect legs.)

The memory struck him for a moment and he could do nothing but look her up and down, smiling. Their eyes met and she felt the heat from his gaze. Soon she was also having a difficult time remembering they were at work. She smiled back at him and he just couldn't stop himself anymore. He stepped up close to her, moving her legs apart so he could stand right in front of her.

Her hands moved up to his arms and her smile started to fade.

"Kens, you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just... sometimes I get sad when you're wearing too many clothes."

"I think you'll be happy to know that I'm not wearing any underwear."

"Really?" A broad grin appeared on her face. "Naughty Detective." She gripped the material of this shirt and pulled him in for a kiss.

She really should have been thinking about how they were in the boat shed in the middle of the day. Also, in the middle of a case. Callen could have walked back in at any minute. Nell or Eric (or even worse, Granger) could have appeared on the big screen.

But none of that was on her mind. Instead, all she could focus on was how she loved the way his lips moved against hers. How amazing it felt as his hands moved up and down her thighs, his thumbs brushing dangerously close to her inseam. How much she wanted her hands down his pants and how little she tried to stop herself.

While one hand still held on to him, the other made its way down his chest and long his side. She lifted up his shirt, exposing his waist so she could then dip her fingers into his jeans...

She broke the kiss and stuck out her bottom lip in an exaggerated pout. "Hey..."

He laughed, that annoyingly adorable laugh of his when he thought he was being funny. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist checking."

"Yeah, except you got me all excited for nothing." She pulled the elastic band of his boxers and let go, snapping it against his skin. "Tease."

"Ow," He winced dramatically. "Don't worry, baby. I can get you all excited when we get home."

He leaned in to kiss her again but she stopped his lips with her finger. "Or..." She arched her eyebrows at him with a devious smile. "It'll be my turn to be the tease."

 


	108. Quiet Storm

Post ep for An Unlocked Mind (7x07)

* * *

Deeks closed his eyes, trying to calm the storm that raged in his mind. He tried to tell himself that everything was okay now. Everything was back to the way it was supposed to be. He was no longer in danger and neither was Kensi. They were home, safe and sound, falling asleep on the couch in each others arms.

At least Kensi was sleeping.

He gently ran his fingers through her hair, breathing in her scent, savoring the feeling of this amazing woman cuddled up close to him.

Part of him swelled with pride when he found out the wounds on Ashman's face were inflicted by Kensi. An almost completely paralyzed Kensi at that. He loved how strong she was and how she never stopped fighting.

But when he let his mind wander too much, it made him physically ill. She told him that he didn't want to know what had been going on in that room. He didn't press the matter, but he was fully aware of the state of undress she was in and he was able to get the idea. He knew without a doubt that if he had found her with Ashman, he would have killed him with his bare hands.

So many things about today felt so wrong. Witnessing David and the other church members being "disciplined" filled him with a fierce determination to get him out of that fucked up place. These people were here because they were seeking something more for their lives. They wanted answers, acceptance, freedom, safety, meaning, love… all things they were promised they would find at the Church of the Unlocked Mind. Yet none of those promises were kept. Instead they were being used and hurt and manipulated. This made Deeks burned with anger. It was not unlike a child seeking love and protection from their father, only to be left beaten and terrified.

Kensi let out a soft snore and she burrowed her face into his neck. He smiled and held her even tighter, kissing the top of her head. He closed his eyes and thought about all the people who were free from that bastard. He thought about how they made a difference and they lived to see another day. He thought about how much he loves Kensi Marie Blye and how much he loves quiet moments like this, even though they don't last long.

He drifted off to sleep, hoping tomorrow would give them the chance to do the same as today.

 


	109. Remember When

Divergent338 yelled at me and then this happened.

* * *

He looked down at the mess of wavy brown hair resting on his chest. She had fallen asleep while watching TV, using him as her own personal body pillow. He brought his hand to her face, gently brushing away the soft strands. Damn, she was beautiful and she was his. He remembered a time when getting a smile out of her was a rare occurrence. When he relished simple touches like their shoulders bumping together as they climbed the stairs to ops. When she would lean against him towards the end of the movie they'd watch after work.

He remembered a time when there had only been one kiss between them. A kiss that came out of nowhere and was over far too quickly. The feeling of her soft lips against his began to fade from his memory long before he had the chance to experience it again.

Things were different now. He lost count of the number of kisses, but it still thrilled him every time her lips touched his. Every night, she would curl up next to him, but his heart would still beat a little faster when he had her in his arms.

He leaned down and placed a lingering kiss on the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. He whispered words of love to her. She didn't hear them now, but she would in the morning.

 


	110. Roberta and Martin

Post Internal Affairs drabble.

* * *

"Today was rough, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, Mom, that's one way of putting it."

"Well, I'm glad you're home."

"Me, too."

After leaving the mission, Deeks went home to check on his mother. Much to his exasperation, he found her cleaning up the mess that LAPD left after their search. After a lot of convincing, she finally stopped what she was doing and sat down with him on the barstools in his kitchen.

"So, where's Kensi tonight?"

"She's having drinks with the team."

"Didn't you want to join them? I'm sure you'd rather be with your friends than hang out with your old mother."

"Um… yeah, normally you'd be right because you're so lame and everything." He laughed when she rolled her eyes. "But I, um, wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I didn't get accused of murder so I'm just peachy."

"Are you really? Because you were pretty frantic at the station."

Roberta looked down at her hands and let out a sigh. "Yeah… that did bring back some memories that I wish I could just forget forever."

Deeks hated when his mother sounded sad, especially when it was because of him. "I wish you wouldn't blame yourself for anything."

She got up and went to the refrigerator. She took out two bottles of water and brought them back to her seat. "I know in my mind that it's all in the past, but I just got so scared for you today. It's hard to think rationally when I thought you could lose everything."

"There's nothing to worry about, Mom." He picked up his bottle and took a drink. "I'm fine. Everything's fine."

"Who are you trying to convince there?" She asked, tilting her head.

"What?"

"It's just that… you're home. You're free. You were cleared. But you don't seem like you're all that relieved."

He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He really didn't want to be having this conversation, but he knew his mother. And she wasn't going to let this go.

"Listen… I know you like to try and protect me and that's why you never tell me anything about your job or when you get hurt or when something bad happens. But I know you. I know when something isn't right with you. And something isn't right with you now."

"Mom, I…"

She held up her hand. "You don't have to explain anything to me. I know how this works. I just can't help but worry about you."

"Don't worry. Everything's gonna be fine."

"I don't always believe you when you tell me that." She sighed. "I do have to ask one thing though. Whatever this is that's making you all sullen and broody…"

"I'm not…"

"Don't argue with your mother or else you'll wish you were back in that cell."

It was his turn to roll his eyes.

"Whatever this is, does Kensi know about it?"

He looked down at the counter and shook his head. "No." He spoke softly.

"Okay then. Martin, I just have to say this. You introduced me to that girl a few months ago and I fell in love with her. She's ballsy and strong and smart and she's good for you. I've gotten used to her being a part of my world now. In fact, I already have my heart set on her being the mother of my grandchildren."

"Mom…"

"Shut up. You two would make beautiful babies." It made her happy to get at least a slight smile out of him. "And just let me finish. If there is something you need to tell her that could effect your future together, then you need to tell her."

He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. He knew she was absolutely right, but fear started to bubble up inside of him. He pictured Kensi's face, a mixture of hurt and angry and broken and betrayed… right before she walks away from him for good. This image haunted him every time he considered coming clean. How can he tell her, if it could mean losing her? How can he be with her if he doesn't tell her?

"I know that's not easy for you." Roberta reached out and took her son's hand. "You like to keep things inside because you think it'll protect everybody you love or you think you don't deserve something good. But I've seen the way you two look at each other. This is the real thing for both of you. She deserves for you to be completely open and honest with her. That means even the stuff that's hard."

"I…" He ran his hand over his jaw. "I don't know how to tell her."

"Is she worth trying to figure that out?"

He cleared his throat, feeling emotion overcoming him. All he could do was nod.


	111. Personalized Christmas

A Talon Christmas Drabble for my friend, Z.

* * *

_Just to warn you. I brought a little Christmas spirit to your otherwise dreary home. See you later!_

Callen groaned with worried when he received the text from Talia. Sam asked him what was wrong, but they were called up to ops before he could answer. The case ended up keeping them so busy that he completely forgot about it.

That was until the end of the day when he approached his house and saw lights on inside. He shook his head and braced himself for what he might find inside.

Talia was not to be seen when he opened the door. But there was a Christmas tree, decorated with white lights and red and green ball ornaments. There was a single gift bag sitting under the tree. Over on the mantle, there was one stocking hanging. As he shut the door behind him, he thought maybe this wasn't so bad. Maybe some holiday cheer was just what his simple living room was needing.

He stepped a little closer to admire her work, when something caught his eye. "What the hell…"

"G? You home?" Talia appeared from the kitchen with a beer in her hand and an excited smile on her face. "What do you think? It's great, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's… something alright."

"Something awesome, more like it."

"While I appreciate you trying to liven up my place for the holidays…"

"Liven up is right. This place was practically comatose."

He cleared his throat and tried to hide the smile that started to form on his face. "Very funny. But seriously, do all these ornaments have the letter G on them?"

She let out a cackle, one that usually came out when she found herself hilarious (which was pretty often). "Yes, they do! Amazing, right? They just had you written all over them."

"How many of them are there?"

"Who even knows? It's worth it though. I'm sure you were one of those kids who could never find personalized things with your name on it. Now, you have a whole freaking tree!" She laughed, like it was the funniest damn thing in the world.

"I'm sure these are for people whose names start with G. Not people named G." He sighed, noticing that the stocking had a letter G on it as well.

"Well, your name does start with G. You just don't know any of the other letters."

"You find this whole 'letter for a first name' thing way too amusing. I would have thought you'd be tired of it by now."

She chuckled. "Never. Also, I can't wait for you to open the present. "

"Why? More G things?"

"Nuthin' but G thangs for you."

Callen rolled his eyes, but could no longer suppress his smile anymore. She loved getting under his skin, which was probably why he liked being around her so much. He reached out and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I hate to ruin this festive mood you're in, but you know it's possible that one day I might figure out what my real name is."

With her free hand, she ran her fingers along his jaw. "Yeah, and that'll be the day I end whatever this is." She said with a smile.

"Wow. You'd break up with me if I had a real first name and you couldn't make G puns anymore?"

"Break up? That would mean we're actually in a relationship now. No, I'd just stop coming over to have sex with you."

He tightened his grip around her. "So you'd come over just to play chess then?"

"Please. Like we could play chess without having sex afterwards."

He smiled right before kissing her softly. "Thank you for my personalized Christmas."

"You're welcome. So you like it?"

"Yes, I do."

"Good. I'm glad. I would have done it anyway, just so you know."

"So…" He gestured in the direction of the tree. "What's in the bag?"

She stifled a laugh. "It may or may not be a big letter G that plugs in and lights up, but you should open it just to be sure."


	112. Take me home

Post Come Back (7x14) speculation

* * *

Jack left the boat shed first and Kensi was incredibly grateful for this. For the second time in two years, her former fiancé unexpectedly crossed paths with her. The first time they had found themselves in a dangerous situation that almost cost them their lives. This time the stakes were still high, but the end of the case left time for her to talk with him. To share what has been on her mind and in her heart these past eleven years. To let him know exactly what it did to her to wake up that Christmas morning alone. Also, she wanted him to know that she was fine and that she was happy he found the peace he was looking for.

Now in this moment of quiet, she breathed out, as if she had been holding it in all day. She already knew she was over Jack. Of this she had no doubt. But being open and honest with him had lifted a burden that she didn't even realize she was still carrying. The anger, the pain, the worry, the self-doubt, the second-guessing... all of it was gone.

As she opened the door to the parking lot, a huge smile spread across her face at the sight of her boyfriend leaning against the Audi. At one point she hoped Deeks had found a way home because of how long her conversation with Jack was taking. But as soon as she saw him, she was so glad that he had stayed. There was no one on the planet she wanted to see more than him right at this moment.

He was still leaning against the car, his thumbs in his pockets, as she approached him. His posture and soft smile were casual, but the lines on his brow let her know his concern. She stepped right in front of him, smiling as she reached out and ran her hands up and down his arms.

"So... how'd it go?"

"Good." She nodded. "Great even."

"Good. I'm glad you talked to him."

"Me too. There was definitely stuff I really needed to say to him and I feel so much better now that I had the chance."

He smiled at her, the concern starting to leave his face.

"Um... thank you for encouraging me to do this. This was really important to me."

He reached out and placed his hands on her hips. "Then just for that reason, it was important to me too."

Kensi's heart was so full she thought it would burst. She brought her hands up to face, pulling him close. She covered his lips with hers, pouring all of her love and passion for him into this kiss.

When she pulled back, she waited for his eyes to flutter open. "Take me home." She whispered.

"Home." He said, with a lopsided grin. "Whatever you say, baby."


	113. Let the game begin

Post Exchange Rate (7X18) drabble

* * *

Kensi walked out of their newly de-cluttered bathroom, dressed and ready for bed. She had to admit that the bathroom looked a lot better now, but she wasn't going to say that out loud just yet. She found Deeks lying on their bed, both hands resting under his head. He was just in his boxers and appeared to be sleeping. She smiled, remembering finding him in the boat shed shower that morning. Before he had confessed his reason for being there, all she could think about was her desire to lick him dry.

And honestly that thought distracted her throughout the day.

Just because he wasn't in the shower anymore didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun right now. She quietly padded over to the bed and climbed on, kneeling by his feet. Leaning over, she placed a gentle kiss on his stomach, lingering for a few moments. She continued trailing open mouth kisses up his torso. Her progress was slow, considering she kept tracing the lines of his muscles with her tongue. He remained still, but she heard soft moans as he breathed out. That made her smile and chuckle against his skin.

As she reached his neck, she straddled his hips, feeling that he was just as aroused as she was. He rolled his hips up against her as he finally moved his hands and held her by her waist.

"Cleaning obviously makes you horny." He said with a smirk. "Another reason to do it more often."

"You know what really makes me horny?" She whispered as she nibbled on his earlobe. "You shutting up."

"I happened to know you love the sound of my voice. Especially when it's my turn to be the sex robot."

Kensi pulled away and narrowed her eyes at him. Her stern look didn't last long at all as a smile spread across her face. Her relationship with Deeks had never been easy, even in the beginning when they were partners who barely tolerated each other. Years later as partnership turned to friendship and then to love, they still had to work to understand each other. But every bit of it is worth it, whether it was figuring out how to not get on each others' nerves or how to turn each other on. Everyday with this man was an adventure and deciding to go all in with him was the best gamble she ever made.

"You know what?" She said softly, still smiling. "I love living with you, too."

He seemed taken off guard, like it was still hard for him to believe when she was sincere with him. He sat up, wrapping his arms around her, guiding her legs around him. "Even though I sneak off to take showers at strange places." He whispered against her lips right before kissing her softly.

"Yeah, you need to stop doing that. I need you naked and wet at home."

"So you don't want me naked and wet at work?"

"Hmmm... actually..." She kissed him. "I only want you naked and wet where I can join you."

"I'm pretty sure there's no cameras in that part of the boat shed."

She smiled, running her hands up and down his arms.

"You're thinking about it, aren't you?"

"I'm thinking I may not want to take the risk. After today, the people we work with know too much about our sex life as it is."

Moving quickly, Deeks grabbed her around the waist and flipped her over on her back, hovering above her. She let out a little gasped and then laughed as he peppered her neck and shoulder with kisses.

"Okay, fine. No shower sex in the boat shed. Then how about you ask me again if I want to play a game?"

"Like Connect Four?"

"Sexy Connect Four? So kinky, Kensalina."

"Let the game begin."


	114. Allergies

_Happy Birthday, Hermionesmydawg! You mean the world to me and I hope you have an amazing day :)_

* * *

It was driving Nell crazy.

She had invited Kensi over to watch movies and consume too many drinks and snacks. They hadn't spent time together in awhile and it was going to be a night of relaxation and gluttony. There was a giant bowl of popcorn on her coffee table, along with a few bags of Reese's mini peanut butter cups and a six pack of beer. Kensi decided she wanted them to watch both _Captain America_ movies. Nell had already watched them with Eric, but she didn't mind seeing them again. With all the action and beautiful people, how could she say no?

But then part way through _The First Avenger_ , Nell started hearing a noise from Kensi's direction. She didn't think much of it, but it became more frequent during _Winter Soldier_. She noticed that Kensi barely ate or drank anything and kept making sniffling noises. When the final credits were rolling, Kensi was rubbing her eyes and Nell couldn't keep quiet anymore.

"Kensi, are you crying?"

"What?" Kensi squeaked. "No, why?"

"It seems like you're crying."

"No... it's just my allergies."

"Since when do you have allergies?" Nell asked.

"Since... you know... always."

"I've never heard you say anything about them before."

"Well, now I am, okay?" Kensi was sounding more and more defensive, which meant she was definitely hiding something.

"Kensi, what's going on?"

"Nothing. I just have allergies. You must have something new in your apartment that's affecting me."

"Yeah... that's gotta be it."

"I mean, it's not like there's anything else affecting me."

"Sure." Nell wasn't even trying to sound like she believed her.

"It's not like Steve Rogers does nothing but sacrifice for other people and in return he loses everything. I mean, that doesn't bother me at all."

"Of course not."

"Or that Bucky only ever wanted to be by Steve's side and then he was tortured and tormented and forced into a life that lead to him almost killing his best friend. That's just... you know... no big deal."

"It sounds like you're having another allergy attack."

"And then there's Sam." Kensi was getting louder and was talking faster. "I mean, what is it with guys named Sam and their unwavering loyalty? That's just, you know, I mean whatever."

"Holy shit, Kensi. You _are_ crying."

"Yeah. Shut up. So what?"

"I thought you knew these comic books and the plot of these movies already."

"Yeah, well, comics don't prepare you for Sebastian Stan's and Chris Evans's sad faces."

"Seriously, Kensi, I think you're more messed up from this than you are after watching _Titanic_."

"But why can't they just be together?"

"Are you talking about Jack and Rose or Steve and Bucky?"

"It's not funny to toy with my emotions like that." Kensi then sat up straight. "Hey, wait a second. Isn't there a third one? I heard about a third one. Can we watch that next?"

"The third one is _Civil War_ and that isn't even out in the theaters yet. You have to wait a few weeks."

"A few weeks?! I can't wait that long!"

"You didn't know that movie existed a few hours ago and now you seriously can't wait?"

"Well, I didn't know about all these beautiful people with the sad faces a few hours ago, but now I do and this shit has ruined my life."

"Sorry." Nell patted Kensi's knee. "There's nothing I can do to make it happen faster."

"I have to know if Steve ever finds Bucky. I just have to."

"Well, you can come see it opening day with me and Eric." As soon as the offer was out there, Nell regretted it.

"That would be great. Eric won't mind, will he?"

"No, of course not. I'll just have to warn him."

"About what?"

"About your allergies."


	115. What rule?

_Prompt from Raccoon Lady - Kensi does away with "the rule."_

_Takes place after Episode 7x22_

* * *

Kensi really couldn't help herself.

It was all just too much to resist. It was the end of a long day and she was too exhausted to even think about gathering her stuff and walking to her car. She looked around the bull pen for Deeks, wondering if he was ready to go and then she spotted him on the couch. He looked just as tired as she felt. Eyes closed, head leaning back, feet propped up on the table in front of him. She had this urge to just go over there and curl up next to him. That's exactly what she would do if they were home. It was one of her favorite parts of the day. Being in their house, sitting on their couch, enjoying his arms around her as they let the stress of their jobs melt away.

But no, she couldn't do that now. They were still at work. Everyone was still here. Everyone would see. She had a rule about this kind of thing. There was a time and place for physical affection and the couch at OSP was not it.

But then again... the day was pretty much over. All there was left to do was to go home. What harm would it be if she just sat next to him? Besides, if she was really honest with herself, she'd have to admit that she was pretty lousy at sticking to her own rule. Just last week in the armory, she shared a sweet lingering kiss with him after talking about what their wedding would be like. She sighed and walked over to the couch, realizing there was no point in arguing with herself. She sat down and placed her feet next to his. He turned his head toward her and smiled softly. He lifted his right arm, allowing her to settle in closer as he held her. Her original plan of just sitting next to him quickly went out the window as she turned her whole body toward him and rested her head and hand on his chest. She could already feel tension leave her body as he kissed the top of her head and breathed in the scent of her hair.

She didn't know how much time went by, but it was long enough to almost forget where they were. But their quiet tender moment was interrupted by a chuckle and a question.

"Don't you two have a rule about this stuff?"

They both looked up to see Sam standing there with an amused smirk on his face.

"What's the matter, Sam?" Deeks asked. "You jealous we took the couch before you and Callen had a chance to cuddle?"

Sam rolled his eyes, obviously regretting starting this conversation. "You're a funny guy, Deeks."

"Don't be cranky like that. There's room for everyone. We can have a whole team group cuddle right now."

Sam shook his head and walked away, mumbling under his breath.

"Come on, Sam! Where you going? You going to go get Callen? Awesome. Bring Eric and Nell back with you too. Hell, find Granger. We all know that guy loves to snuggle. And don't forget Hetty. She's small and we'll easily find a spot for her. Sam? You coming back, right?"

Kensi snorted a laugh into Deeks's shirt.

"Well, I think that worked." Deeks said. "He won't be asking us about the rule anymore."

Kensi lifted her head and placed a gentle kiss on his jaw. "What rule?"


	116. Between the sheets

Right to the good parts prompt from Scott: We slept in the same bed for space reasons but now we're just waking up and there's something about your bleary eyes and mussed hair.

Takes place during the same assignment in Neighborhood Watch (3x22).

* * *

It had already been a couple weeks and it wasn't seeming so bad anymore.

When Hetty first revealed their next assignment, Kensi did not even try to hide her exasperation. For who knows how long, she was going to have to play house with Deeks. Not that she had a problem with him. He was a great partner who she counted on day after day to do his job well. She had lost count long ago of the number of times he had saved her ass. It had even become a sort of regular thing for them to spent time together outside of work.

But this was different. This was living in the same house as him, pretending to be his wife in almost every sense of the word. Including sharing the same bed. As Hetty explained the reasoning behind this particular requirement (something about not knowing who might be watching and what kind of surveillance they may be up against or whatever), Kensi just closed her eyes and massaged her temples. She didn't need to look in her partner's direction at all to know the familiar smirk that was undoubtedly on his smug face.

The first week had been the most difficult. The bickering about everything from being in each others way to what to eat for meals seemed endless. But then they started to fall into a routine and everything seemed a lot easier. Maybe even pleasant.

Even the part of having to share a bed with him wasn't so strange anymore. Having someone to say goodnight and good morning to was actually kind of comforting. (Although she really didn't feel like telling him that).

Then one morning almost two weeks into their assignment, Kensi woke up gradually before their alarm. The sun was starting to come up, but the light was still low in the room. She was lying on her side, facing Deeks, who was still fast asleep. As her eyes adjusted to the sight in front of her, she couldn't help but smile. Seeing him like this was so rare. He was so quiet and peaceful and almost... adorable. His mop of blonde hair was even more messy immediately after being (in his words) styled by pillow all night. His nose started to twitch and she made a mental note to tease him about that later. Before she even realized what she was doing, she had reached out and gently brushed his hair off of his face. She allowed herself a moment to just admire him, and maybe even think that waking up to this sight was not that bad. Not bad at all.

Deeks took in a deep breath and as he let it out, his eyes began to flutter open. Kensi was a bit startled by this. Hopefully he wouldn't notice that she had been watching him as he slept. Unfortunately, she had forgotten that she was still touching his hair. She froze for a moment then tried to quickly move her hand away. But by then his eyes had already met hers. As she pulled her hand back he reached out and grabbed it.

Great. Just when things were starting to feel less awkward, Deeks caught her not only staring at him, but also stroking his hair. She felt like time had stopped and she wished with all her might that she could just disappear. But then something kind of amazing happened. Deeks begin to caress her palm with his thumb. The sensation traveled through her, making her feel a warmth that had nothing to do with the comforter on top of her. The corner of his mouth turned up into a slight smile. Not only was she returning his smile, but her heart was hammering in her chest. Her mind was racing, both telling her to put a stop to this and also to see where this could take them. He shifted his hand, interlocking their fingers together. This was feeling more and more right...

Until the alarm went off and the spell was broken. Their hands separated, Deeks rolled over to shut the alarm off, and Kensi jumped out of bed, heading straight for the bathroom. She closed the door and leaned against it, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. And also what would have happened if that alarm didn't have such perfect timing. Or not so perfect timing. She couldn't decide which.

_Snap out of it, Blye. This assignment is just getting to you. To both of you._ Hopefully telling herself that over and over would make her believe it.


	117. recovery

Missing scenes from Higher Power (3x11)

* * *

"You're missing out on a chance of a lifetime here."

Kensi gripped the steering wheel tighter as her annoying chatty partner went on and on about her upcoming vacation. Dismissing his constant suggestions that he accompany her to Hawaii didn't seem to stop him and now neither did just ignoring him. She really wanted him to just drop it. Her reasons for going to Hawaii were private and she had not shared them with anyone.

Plus, Deeks was the last person she wanted to spend extra time with right now.

But in his usual fashion, he wouldn't drop it. Every time there was a quiet moment between them, he would come up with a new reason why he was the best person on the planet to take to Hawaii.

They were on their way back from almost (but not really) getting electrocuted and he was at it again. "Maybe I'll just get my own flight there. A vacation all by myself does sound nice."

She sighed. "It's not a vacation all by yourself if you're going to the same place as me."

"Sure it is. We can hang out and then still do our own thing. You would save money on surfing lessons since I can just show…"

"Dammit, Deeks, will you just stop?!" She yelled as she slammed her hand on the wheel, startling Deeks into silence. "Will you get it through your thick head that I don't want to go to Hawaii with you. I don't want to go anywhere with you. I barely want to be in this car with you after what you did to me. So, please, just stop it."

The rest of the drive was in silence. Kensi was too furious to care that this was the first time all day that Deeks was not talking. Whether he was hurt or embarrassed or just confused, he deserved it. When they arrived at OSP, Kensi put the vehicle into park and headed inside without waiting for her partner.

* * *

The rest of the day was crazy busy. They were successful at saving the city from a paralyzing electromagnetic pulse and even had time to celebrate the holiday with cookies and booze back at the mission. Deeks hadn't brought up the subject of Hawaii and Kensi had acted like she wasn't still upset with him.

She was prepared to just leave things the way they were and hopefully they could work it out when she was back. But then he gave her a gift, something for her trip. And he didn't say a thing about going with her. She was touched that despite her outburst, he still thought to give her something. He even offered to bring her to the airport, which she accepted.

The car ride was awkward. He was being careful and she appreciated what he was trying to do.

"Deeks?"

"Yeah?"

"I've sorry for yelling at you. I appreciate you wanting to spend time with me… but I'm not there yet. What happened… it really hurt to be lied to, especially coming from you. I know you had no choice, but that doesn't change the fact that someone I trust lied to me."

The day that she thought he had been fired hit her like a semi. As much as she complained about Deeks, she had grown used to him as her partner over the past year. She trusted him to watch her back and he trusted her with the same. She was even finding herself enjoying his company. They still bickered like little kids a lot of times, but mostly it was fun instead of annoying. Much to her own surprise, she was devastated when she thought they would no longer be working together everyday. When everything came to light, she was glad that wasn't the case, but their partnership had still taken a hit. One she had not recovered from yet.

"You don't have to be sorry, Kens. I deserved it. I just… I've never had a partner like you before and definitely not for this long. I hate that I had to lie to you and I was trying anything I could think of to make it right."

"You can't, Deeks. I just need more time. I had this trip planned before all this happened, but I think it'll be good for us to be apart."

He nodded, looking sad. "Okay. I can give you time. Whatever it takes."

"Thank you."

"Um… do you want me to pick you when you get back? It's the least I could do."

Kensi smiled. "Yeah, especially since you left me stranded last time."

"Hey, that was an honest mistake. And you weren't even the slightest bit worried about me. I might've been dead in a ditch somewhere. Now that I think about it, you were really the selfish one in that situation."

She laughed and he looked over at her, smiling.

They arrived at the airport and Deeks pulled over to departures. She didn't get out right away. She smiled and thanked him.

"You're welcome. When you're back, I'd love to get together and catch up. That is, if you want to."

"That sounds great, Deeks."

"Merry Christmas, partner."

"Merry Christmas to you."


	118. Happily ever after

Black Market (8x04) post ep - Nell and Deeks

* * *

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier."

"What's that?"

"You know… the whole living happily ever after thing. I was trying to be bantery, but I'm afraid it might have just upset you."

Deeks was quiet for a few moments. Today had been weird. Being partnered with Nell was actually great. She had been growing as an agent in ways that made him proud to work with her. Despite her small stature and soft voice, she held her own impressively. They had fun too. They would laugh and joke around, but inevitably the mood would turn awkward or sad when they would remember the reason they were partnered in the first place.

And that Kensi was more than just Deeks's partner at work.

He cleared his throat and smiled at her. "Don't worry about it, Nell. You have nothing to be sorry about."

"It feels like I do. This whole thing feels wrong."

"It does, but it's not your fault and I'm honestly glad you're here. I wouldn't be able to even think about doing my job right now if you weren't here with me."

Nell smiled and reached over to hold his arm. "Thanks. I'm glad too, but it'll be even better when she's awake and back with you."

There was silence again. Both of them felt Kensi's absence and would have given anything to have her back. Nell was fully aware that a lot of her skills as a field agent she learned from Kensi. She wished that she could be here to see her.

"I got a ring." Deeks said, breaking the silence and startling Nell.

"Um, I'm sorry. What?!"

"I, um, I got a ring for Kensi."

"Holy shit, Deeks…" She didn't know if she should be happy or not, given the circumstances. She couldn't really say that the news was a shock. Kensi and Deeks had been important to each other for a long time. After they started dating, she knew that marriage would only be a matter of time for them. "Wow, does she, I mean, did she know about it before?"

"No, it was gonna be a surprised. I had a whole thing planned out." He smiled. "Sunset at the beach. Super cliché and cheesy and perfect. But now… I just don't know."

This was terrible on so many levels and it just kept getting worse. Nell prided herself on being able to solve every problem in front of her. Unfortunately, this was one she couldn't do anything about. She couldn't make everything instantly better for Kensi or Deeks, no matter how much she wanted to.

At the very least, she could be there for her friend and partner. "She's going to wake up, Deeks. She's going to be so happy when she sees the ring and you two will get married and live happily ever after."

Deeks smiled. "You guarantee that, Velma?"

"Yeah, I do, Shaggy."

"Thank you." He reached out and drew her in for a hug. "That means a lot."

"You're welcome. I just really wish there was something I could do to help her."

"If there's anyone who needs to be choked out, then you're our girl."

She pinched his side, making him jump. "Don't tempt me."

"Kensi will love to hear about how badass you are as soon as she wakes up."

"Maybe I'll let you propose first."

"Deal."


	119. Welcome Back

Everything was dark and heavy and slow and far away. 

If she concentrated hard, recent things would briefly come back to her. Waking up and Deeks not being there. Undersecretary Whatshisname shutting everything down at OSP. Going to Syria. Helicopter crashing. Telling Deeks she’s sorry…

Everything after that was a struggle. She wanted to open her eyes, but she was too tired, too distracted. There seemed to be voices, but she didn’t recognize them at first. She had no idea what they were saying. Were they speaking English? Were they in the same room as her? Would they notice her if she tried to speak? She tried to open her mouth, but nothing happened. Maybe she forgot how.

Time didn’t really mean anything to her. She stayed still, but the voices changed. Some seemed familiar and some didn’t. Deeks was usually there. Mostly she just heard mumbling from him, but she understood “please” and “good morning” and “love.”

Her mom was there, too, reading her a story in her steady melodic tone. She wanted to say she was sorry for making her come to the hospital again because of her. But the words never came out.

A small hand grabbed hers and an authoritative voice told her to squeeze. Even in this odd foggy unknown state, Kensi never backed down from a challenge. Every ounce of concentration she could muster went into focusing on her right hand. And she moved. She did it again when she was told to and then a third time to just prove she could. She was completely wiped out after that.

There was excitement happening. Someone was excited and was causing a scene. Roberta? And Deeks? What were they saying? Were they arguing? She could smell lingering cigarette smoke and sense Deeks’s exasperation.  If she could, she would have smiled.

Roberta was gone, but Deeks was still there. It was getting easier for her to sense who was around her and she knew he was constantly there. Holding her hand. Babbling to her. She wanted desperately to be out of whatever was keeping her from him. What was separating them and why couldn’t she find him or talk to him?

It wasn’t just babbling anymore. She understood more and more words. Something about a mancave and their garage. 

Then she moaned and he stopped.

It’s as if she had been buried and she was finally able to dig her way out. She moaned again and cracked her eyes open. He was right there, speaking softly and sweetly to her.

_ Los Angeles. Helicopter crash. Scar. Right hand. _

All these things were registering. She was very weak, but it felt amazing to be able to squeeze his hand. He asked her to try with her left and she did… or at least she tried. She tried again, but nothing. She stared at her left hand and willed it to move and still nothing. Her glance darted between him and her still unmoving hand. He was telling her to squeeze his hand. She wanted to tell him that she was trying, but her voice wasn’t working. Her mouth was so dry and nothing was working the way it should. 

What was happening? She remembered the crash and understood why she had been unconscious, but why couldn’t she move? What does this mean? Will she recover? What else doesn’t work? Will she be stuck in this bed forever?

She had just woken up and her mind was already a whirlwind of fears and doubts and emotions. 

But in the midst of all that was him. He touched her face and her hair. He gently brushed tears from her cheek and encouraged her. 

_ Look at me. I love you. _

She looked up and met his gaze for the first time. His beautiful blue eyes stopped her racing mind for a moment as she focused on his face and his words. 

_ I love you. Welcome back. _

She closed her eyes and leaned into his touched. She had no idea how much time had gone by since the crash. She had no idea how much longer she would be stuck here in the hospital. She definitely had no clue what else was wrong with her. But right now, the only thing that matter was who was there with her. 

_ I love you, too, Deeks. _ She desperately wanted to say back to him. Hopefully soon, she could.


	120. I can't wait

A little thing based on extended promo for _Home Is Where the Heart Is_ (7x06) - for raccoonsmate4life

* * *

Kensi thanked the nurses for helping her back into her bed. It had been nice to go outside and feel the sunshine and breathe in fresh air.

But the fact that she needed help getting into bed was beyond frustrating. She was supposed to meet with a neurologist later on and hopefully that would clear things up. She was not entirely convinced though.

"I have to get back to work." Deeks sat on the edge of the bed and reached for both her hands. "You gonna be alright?"

She sighed. "Besides the fact that I'm stuck here, yeah, I guess I'll be fine."

It broke his heart to see her like this. He would love nothing more than to take away all her worry, but he knew he had to let her process all of this. Kensi Marie Blye was strong as hell and not someone who would let self pity take over her life. She just needed time to get there.

"Yeah," he said, raising his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I know you will be."

"I wish I was as certain as you are."

"I know you'll feel better after talking to the doctor. Once you know more about what you're dealing with, then you can start figuring out what to do."

"How can you be so sure?"

He looked down at her left hand. He took a hold of it and raised it to his lips, leaving a gentle lingering kiss. "I thought I lost you for good." His voice was barely above a whisper. Tears were forming in his eyes when he met her gaze. "I didn't know if you would ever wake up. But you did, because you're tough and you're strong and you'll be damned if you ever let anything stand in your way."

She let his words sink in and then gave him a slight smile. "Thank you," she said softly, as she ran her fingertips along his jaw.

"Anything for you, baby." He leaned over and kissed her before standing up. "Now, I really have to go, but I'll see you later after I'm done saving the world."

"Sounds good." She smiled and narrowed her eyes at him. "Then we can talk about why all the nurses here keep referring to you as my fiancé."

He laughed nervously as he backed out of the room. "I have no idea, Kens. Maybe you're not hearing them right. You were just in a coma and who knows what else got messed up in that pretty little head of yours."

"As soon as my legs start working, the first thing I'm doing is kicking your ass."

"I can't wait."


	121. Finally Home

Prompt from raccoonsmate4life - Home

* * *

 

Kensi was only halfway there, but she had to stop for a break. "I don't remember there being this many steps."

Deeks chuckled. "May I remind you that we don't have to sleep upstairs."

"Deeks, I've been in the hospital for months. I'm finally home and nothing is stopping me from sleeping in my bed, in my bedroom."

"Okay, but at this rate it'll be morning by the time we get up there."

"Just in time for you to help me back down."

"You're hilarious. I've missed your epic sense of humor around here."

"I know you have. Okay, less talking, more climbing."

Kensi was taking one step at a time with Deeks right behind her, ready to catch her if she needed him. The last few months have been the most difficult of her life, but she had learned to appreciate progress in small steps. Also, she loved that Deeks proved over and over that he would be there for her no matter what and that he'll never stop believing in her.

When she finally made it to the top, she was so happy she starting laughing. Deeks wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. "Awesome, baby. You're amazing."

"You say everything I do is amazing."

"That's because everything you do is amazing."

She smiled and blinked back tears as she suddenly felt emotional. "I don't know how I would have done all this without you."

"Kensi…" He leaned down and gently pressed his lips against hers. "You're unstoppable. I was just your cheerleader."

"Yeah, well, there were a lot of times when I needed that."

He smiled. "Your bed's not that far away. You ready to keep going?"

"Yup, as long as you're with me."

"Always."

"Also, if you're my cheerleader, I think you need an outfit."

Deeks laughed. "Don't say that if you don't mean it, because I'll come home with pom-poms tomorrow."

"Don't forget the skirt. You need to show off your legs."

He shook his head and smiled. "Baby, I'm glad you're home."

"Me, too."


	122. I miss you

Prompt from anon - Cuddling

* * *

"Seriously, baby, I need to sneak Monty in here one day. All he does is mope. I try telling him he's still got me, but then he just looks more depressed."

Kensi laughed. "Poor guy. Tell him I miss him too."

"At the very least, you could Skype with him. That might get his tail wagging again."

Kensi rolled her eyes, imagining how ridiculous it would be to video chat with a dog. But she definitely missed Monty. He had started out as Deeks's dog, but it didn't take long for her to grow fond of the shaggy mutt. Being in the hospital meant there were a lot of things about her normal life that were put on hold. First and foremost on her mind was being at home. She missed her dog, her TV, her couch, her bed, her hiding places for all her snacks.

As weird as it sounded, she missed Deeks, too. She still saw him everyday, but it was different. She was mostly confined to her bed or her wheelchair while he sat next to her. She missed actually sitting on the same couch as him, turning towards him, and cuddling into his side. She missed sleeping in the same bed, being able to reach over and touch him and kiss him in the dark. Even on the nights that he stayed in the hospital with her, he was always out of reach.

Even now, as he babbled on, he was too far away. She smiled at him and eventually he trailed off and smiled back.

"What?" He asked.

"What? I can't just smile at my fiancé?"

"You can't call me that yet until you actually let me propose."

She scrunched her nose at him and reached her hand out. "Come here."

"Come here? I am here."

"No." She patted the spot next to her. "Come here."

He smiled. "That's a pretty small bed."

"Not too small for cuddling."

That was enough to convince him. He got up and helped her move over a bit. She leaned into him as he settled next to her. Once he was as comfortable as he was going to get, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She rested her head and her hand on his chest. Breathing in his scent, hearing is strong heartbeat, tracing lines along his muscles through his t-shirt… she sighed, overwhelmed with the feeling of being just a little bit closer to home.

"I miss you." She whispered.

"I'm right here."

"I know… but it's not the same. I miss you, being at home with you, being in our bed…"

His grip around her tightened and he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I miss that too. So so much."

She lifted her head and looked at him. She couldn't remember the last time she was this close to him and that made her sad for a moment. But here he was right now and she didn't want to waste this opportunity. She leaned over and kissed him, lingering while she reached up and held his stubbled jaw. She opened her mouth and melted into him, savoring the way her heart raced and heat spread throughout her body. She was on fire for him, but she still remembered where they were. Before things got out of control, she broke the kiss and leaned her forehead against his.

"I really, really miss that." She smiled against his lips.

"Um, yeah…" Deeks needed a couple seconds to remember how to form a sentence. "Yeah, that was… me too."

She laughed and kissed him again. "Something more to look forward to."


	123. Coming Home (Rated M)

One word prompt from chezdricks - Lust

* * *

Kensi’s heart hammered in her chest as she tried to control her breathing. Little shock waves flowed through her as Deeks peppered soft gentle kisses along her thighs and her belly.

Fuck, she missed this. After months in the hospital, she was finally home in her own bed with the man she loved. She was still recovering, but her doctor did clear her for some fun private times (Kensi’s way of putting in) as long as she took it easy. After they settled into bed, it didn’t take long at all before she had pulled him over and kissed him fiercely as her hands explored under his shirt. He tried to be cautious, honestly not wanting to hurt her, no matter how much he dreamed of this moment finally happening over the last few months. She remained persistent, removing her shirt and tugging at his. She convinced him, whispering in his ear how much she needed this and how much she knew he needed it too. He hovered over her, kissed his way down her body and removed her panties. Stopping at her center, he slowly teased her with his tongue. She moaned loudly, telling him to ‘ _ fucking get on with it already _ .’ He relented, eagerly devouring her as she cried out for more. It had been way too long since the last time they had been intimate, but they fell right back into their rhythm. Deeks knew exactly how to guide her up to that wonderful peak and hold her there for a frustrating amount of time, then help her ride out the intensity that consumed her.

He chuckled against her skin, proud of the effect he still had on her. He rested his chin on her hip and looked up at her. She met his gaze and smiled, so happy she almost started laughing.

“Wow… you’re really good at that. You been practicing while I was gone?”

“No, princess.” He started kissing his way back up her body. “I’m just naturally talented.”

“Well, I’m glad your mouth is good for something.”

“Lots of things.” He swirled his tongue around her nipple before closing his lips around it. 

She gasped. “Ah, yeah, very good…”

He continued up her chest and to her neck, where he left gentle kisses along her scar. He lifted his head and smiled at her. “I love you.”

She ran her fingers along his jaw. “I love you, too.”

“I can’t…” His voice was laced with emotion. “I can’t tell you how glad I am you’re home.”

“Same here.” She smiled as she blinked away happy tears. “You wanna continue welcoming me home?”

“Oh yeah.” He growled as he leaned down to kiss her. All she could do was moan in response, loving how she could taste herself on his lips and tongue.

He settled between her legs and slowly pushed into her. He buried his face in her neck and growled out a curse. He held still and she savored feeling complete and whole.

“Go easy on me. It’s been a while.” She teased.

He chuckled and ran his tongue along her ear. “Anything for you, baby.”

 


	124. Standing

_Post Parallel Resistors (8x08)_

* * *

“I told you a panini was coming,” Deeks said.

“Oh, I love you guys.” Kensi reached out with both hands as Sam and Callen entered her room.

“Are you sure you don’t just love the sandwich?” Callen teased, as Sam handed her the bag. “Because it feels like you just love the sandwich.”

Kensi already had it unwrapped and had taken a big bite. “Turkey, bacon, cheddar, spicy mustard. Yeah, I love this sandwich.” She continued to rummage through the bag and pulled out a big brownie wrapped in plastic. Her eyes lit up. “And also I love you too. Seriously, you two are my favorite.”

“Wow. I feel offended.” Deeks said with a smirk.

“Hey, you know how I feel about paninis and chocolate. You had your chance.”

“I brought you hot chocolate.”

“And no panini.” Kensi said with her mouth full.

“You can’t win, Deeks. Just accept it.” Sam said with a smile as he clapped Deeks on the shoulder.

“Yeah, I should know by now the only way to her heart is through her stomach.”

Kensi savored her panini while sitting up on her bed. Deeks got some extra chairs so they could all sit with her.

This was the first time since the helicopter crash that all four of them were together. Kensi ate happily as she enjoyed being in the same room as her teammates. As annoying as these boys could be sometimes, she really did miss their bickering and teasing and silly conversations. They told her about the cases they were working on, how Nell and Anna and even Granger had been working more in the field.

“Even though we’re covered out there, we still miss you like crazy.” Sam reached over and squeezed her foot through the blanket.

“Yeah, he’s right.” Callen said. “I think I’m even starting to miss how your clutter would invade my desk.”

“Aww, you guys, I miss you too. It’s so boring in here.”

“Well, hopefully you’ll be out soon.” Sam winked. “You won’t let them keep you for long.”

“She’s making progress everyday. I’m so proud of her.” Deeks said with a smile.

All Kensi could do was smile. Her heart felt so full. She hadn’t realized how much she missed these guys and how much she missed seeing them everyday. Their friendship and support meant the world to her right now.

She laughed. “Hey, you want to see something? Deeks, help me to my chair.”

They all shuffled around, bringing her wheelchair closer to the bed so Deeks could lift her off the bed into it.

She pointed across the room. “Bring me the walker.”

Callen got it and set it down in front of her. She smiled at all three of them as they watched with anticipation. Then with all the strength she could gather, she gripped the walker and pushed herself into a standing position. She wobbled a little bit and noticed they all leaned a little closer, ready to catch her if needed. But she was able to straighten up on her own, holding on with only her right hand.

The smiles she received made all the hours in physical therapy worth it. Callen was the first to hug her. He held on tight, so thankful that that horrible day in Syria hadn’t taken a turn for the worst. Sam was next. He kissed her on the cheek and said he was proud of her. Then there was Deeks. He wasn’t even trying to hide the tears in his eyes. He wrapped both arms around her and whispered words of love to her.

Deeks pulled back enough so she could look at all of them. “I’m on my way home.”

  



	125. TInsel

Holiday Writing Prompts - Tinsel - raccoonsmate4life

* * *

 

“If I knew you were gonna decorate, I wouldn’t have given our lights to Callen.”

Kensi shrugged. “I didn’t know I was going to decorate until I just started doing it. But it’s no big deal. We can get other lights.”

Deeks smiled as he watched her carefully place pieces of tinsel on their unlit tree. Life had been so unpredictable the last few months. Something as simple as decorating a tree for Christmas made him happier than it normally would. 

He walked up behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m about to start asking who you are and what you’ve done with my girlfriend.” He kissed her neck. “First, the cookies that were pleasantly edible and now the tree.”

“Don’t act so surprised.”

“Hey, don’t blame me for that. You’re a woman of many talents.” He turned her around so she was facing him. “But, baby, cooking and being domestic aren’t among them.”

She rolled her eyes. “They were just shortbread cookies. I watched an Ina Garten video online. It wasn’t that hard.” 

“If you ask me, Ina is a miracle worker.”

“No one asked you.”

He smiled and brushed her hair off her face. “You have tinsel in your hair.”

Before he could react, Kensi raised her hand and dropped the remaining sparkly strands on top of his head. “So do you.”

“Oh, is that how this is gonna be?” He reached for her, but she was too quick. She backed away and before they knew it, they were chasing each other and having a tinsel fight all over the house. 

Deeks finally caught up to her in the kitchen, pinning her against the counter as he held her. They were both still laughing. They looked ridiculous, covered in more tinsel than their tree. Their laughter subsided and they just stood there looking at each other. Warmth spread through Kensi as Deeks leaned down and kissed her gently. 

“It’s so good to hear you laugh.” He whispered against her lips. 

She smiled. “I guess you have that effect on me.”

“It’s a special talent,” he said. “One of the many, many things you love about me.”

She scrunched her nose at him, knowing he was not wrong. She wanted to say something snarky back to him, but instead she just enjoyed slowly running her hands up and down his strong arms, feelings his strong muscles beneath his shirt. 

“I’m so glad you’re here.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “It wouldn’t be Christmas without you.”

She smiled at him. If she was honest, she would have to admit that baking the cookies and decorating the tree came out of frustration. Despite all the progress she’s made since the helicopter crash, she still had a long way to go before getting back to her old life. Baking and decorating offered the distraction she needed to keep from thinking about work and strange daydreams about starting fights at office parties. But Deeks helped remind her that she had things to be thankful for, to be proud of. She wasn’t back to work yet, but she was back home with the man she loved. She’d rather be chasing down suspects than decorating a tree, but moments like this she wouldn’t trade for anything.

“I love you.” She whispered.

“I love you, too, Kensi. So… you want to keep decorating?”

“Yeah…” She leaned up and kissed him. “Let’s hang the mistletoe next.”

“Sounds like a plan.”


	126. Wrapping Paper

Holiday Writing Prompts - Densi + Wrapping paper - Anonymous

* * *

It had been a long day.

Deeks sighed as he put the car in park and took the keys out of the ignition. He tried to pinpoint what exactly was bothering him, but he couldn't. Other than simply missing his partner. They had been making do without her and he was honestly enjoying working with different people. Especially Nell. He felt like a proud older brother when he saw the way she flourished in the field.

But still he missed his partner.

At least she was home now and he got to be with her outside of the hospital. She was making progress everyday and he was so happy that his worst fear hadn't come true.

But he still struggled with knowing the best way to support her and be there for her. She was often frustrated with her "slow" progress, fixated on the things she still couldn't do, scared that she would never go back to the way things were. He desperately wanted to make her understand that was still the same strong, smart, beautiful woman she'd always been. But Kensi had to process all that in her own way. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like to go through her ordeal, so it'd be impossible for him to truly empathize with her. In the meantime, he continued to let her know how awesome she was and how much he loved her.

He noticed his mom's car parked in front of the house and remembered that she had offered to come over and help Kensi put away all their Christmas stuff. As he approached the door, he heard a strange sound. He was slightly worried, but mostly was just confused as to what the hell was going on inside. He opened the door and immediately saw, but was no less confused.

The noise he had heard was Kensi and Roberta howling with laughter. They were sitting on the floor with tears streaming down their faces. Meanwhile, Monty, looking mellow and relaxed as ever, was lying between them. The poor old dog was almost completely wrapped in Christmas paper. His head was free, all except a red bow on top. The two women were so hysterical, they didn't notice that Deeks had walked in.

"What the hell is going on here?"

All three of them startled and looked up at him. Kensi and Roberta resumed laughing, while Monty just tilted his head.

Roberta wiped tears from her face and managed to catch her breath. "Oh hi, Martin. Welcome home. How was your day?"

"Fine, but it would seem it wasn't as fun as yours."

"Oh, this?" Roberta scratched behind Monty's ear. "We were just being silly."

"You see, Deeks…" Kensi was still chuckling, but had calmed down enough to speak. "I saw this video online where someone was wrapping up a cat and I showed it to Roberta and we laughed and then we wondered if Monty would let us do that to him and we had some wrapping paper still out so…" She pointed to the dog and started laughing again.

"I can't leave you two alone with each other, can I?" Deeks couldn't help but smile at his two favorite ladies, even if they were being unbelievably ridiculous. He knelt down in front of Monty. "Do you need me to rescue you, buddy?"

"No, not yet." Roberta got up and headed towards her purse. "I need a picture."

Deeks looked at Kensi and shook his head. Her cheeks were still red and she had a wide smile spread across her face. He loved seeing her like this, happy and silly. It seemed to take forever, but she was smiling more and more often, and this gave him more hope than anything.

"I love you, baby." He leaned over and kissed her.

She giggled. "You only say that because I got you a dog for Christmas."

"You're damn right. So, you have a good day?"

"Yeah." She nodded and glanced over at Roberta, who was still rummaging through her purse for her phone. "Yeah, I did."

"Good. I like seeing you smile. And I like seeing you two have fun, even if it's at poor Monty's expense."

"Hey, he's fine." She kissed him back. "And I love you, too."

"Awwww!" Roberta had found her phone and was rapidly taking pictures of them. "You guys are just the cutest."

"Mom, knock it off, okay?"

"You're no fun, Martin. This is why I like hanging out with Kensi more than you."

Deeks smiled at Kensi. "I can't blame you there."


	127. Fight Back

Post _Hot Water_ (8x13) Kensi and Hetty fic

* * *

Somehow, even on the run with nothing but their wet clothes, Hetty was able to find a safe house for them. It was stocked with plenty of clothes, weapons, a couple burn phones, and gourmet tea (of course). Most importantly, this safe house was not on any government agency's radar, not even with NCIS. They were secure for now.

Kensi walked into the kitchen after taking a shower. Hetty was making tea and had two cups with saucers set out. Kensi sat down at the table and ran her fingers through her wet hair. Wearing clean and dry clothes after their unexpected dip into the harbor did make her feel a little better. But she was far from okay.

The weight of everything was settling on her shoulders. They were without information, without backup, and without a plan. This was certainly not the way Kensi imaged her first day back to work.

She was brought out of her own thoughts when Hetty set a teacup in front of her and then sat down with her own.

"You feel better, dear?"

"Um, yeah. I guess so." Kensi turned the cup on its saucer. "It's good that we had this house to go to."

"Yes, it's good to be prepared. More prepared than NCIS or any moles know that you are."

"How long do you think it'll be okay to stay here?"

"I'm confident we won't be found." Hetty took a sip. "But we should come up with a plan soon. Our team is in trouble and they need our help."

"Right… yeah, you're right." Kensi just stared at the tea.

"Are you alright, Kensi?"

"Um…" She took a deep breath, trying to calm the whirlwind of emotions going on inside of her. "I mean, for the past few months, this is what I wanted, right? A chance to get back out there, to be back at my job, to be doing something important again, to be back to my old self. But now that I have this chance being thrown at me and everyone is counting on us… I don't know if I can do this."

"Kensi…"

"We're all alone. The guys - Sam, Callen, Deeks, Granger - they're all out of reach. Deeks is in jail again and there's no one stopping them from finding out the truth about him. What if we can't get him out? What if someone tries to take the rest of them out like they took out Granger? What if Granger doesn't make it? I mean... I just assumed that when I was finally back that it would be with everyone. But it's not like that. It's just us and I have no idea what to do next." Kensi blinked back tears.

Hetty reached out and grabbed her hand. "Kensi, it's okay. It's okay to feel this way. You went through a traumatic experience and it's only natural to feel these doubts. But I can tell you with absolute certainty that I am glad you're here with me. And that I wouldn't be able to do this without you."

Kensi took a deep breath. "But you kept saying I wasn't ready to come back. How do you know I can do this now?"

"Because I need you. Your team needs you. And I know you'll never stop fighting as long as there's strength left in you."

Kensi smiled, feeling a little better after sharing with Hetty. "I was so pissed at you for not letting me come back right away. I'd practice shooting with my left hand and imagine your face on the target."

Hetty laughed. "That's just the fighter I need on my side right now."

"Okay." Kensi wiped her face with her hands and then smiled at Hetty. Her relationship with this small mysterious woman has had a lot of ups and downs. Through it all, their work and their team was what held them together. And now it was time to fight back. "Let's go get our boys."


	128. This was different

Post Payback (8x15) speculation fic

* * *

 

There was a time when he thought the most terrifying thing he would ever go through involved a drill coming closer to his face.

That was pure helplessness, hopelessness, overwhelming and consuming fear, pain beyond anything ever experienced, every instinct screaming to get the fuck away. All of this inflicted by another person, someone who made sure there would be no fighting back.

That was until today.

Today Kensi had been kidnapped by someone she knew, someone she considered a new friend. Deeks managed to stop himself from imagining the worst by just focusing on getting her back. They found her location, with help from the now conscious and cooperative Sabatino and also Eric finding more evidence from the city's traffic cams.

In their tactical gear, they swept through the building. They found the room holding Kensi and whatever the hell his name was now and Deeks kicked the door down, revealing his nightmare come true.

He saw Kensi restrained to a wheelchair, except for one arm, waving wildly. Her eyes were fierce and full of fight. There was a tear in her jeans on her left leg and blood was oozing out of it. Ferris swung around when the door burst open. His nose was bleeding and he looked pissed. There was a sawzall in his hand and suddenly Deeks realized why Kensi's leg was bleeding. He also realized what Ferris's intention was and what would have happened if they hadn't got there in time.

That was when he realized that being tortured was not the most terrifying thing anymore. It was Kensi, the woman he loved and wanted to spend the rest of his life with, going through the same thing. All while he could do nothing.

Now, she was home, changing into more comfortable clothes. He sat on the couch, holding an ice pack to his hand, while he tried to convince himself that his worst nightmare was over. He closed his eyes and told himself she was home. That asshole who took her was in custody and they were all safe. But his racing heart and mind didn't seem convinced.

He heard her bare feet pad into the room, but he didn't look up. She sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. Being close to her did wonders for relieving his anxious thoughts. He turned and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"You good?" He whispered against her hair.

"Yeah." She sounded tired. She lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. "You?"

Dammit, she was beautiful. Especially in these moments when they're home and protected from the world and he gets to see the real her. "I'm a hell of a lot better now."

She smiled and reached for his left hand. He winced as she removed the ice pack.

"You didn't have to punch him." Her touch on his hand was gentle, but her brow was furrowed.

"Yes, I did. I actually should have done more. That fucking monster was going to cut your leg off."

"I know what he was going to do. He wouldn't shut up about it. But still, I hate that you got hurt trying to hurt him."

"It was so worth it. Plus, you got to punch him too. Which was unbelievably badass on your part. I mean, he had a fucking power tool and you were tied to a wheelchair and you still gave him a bloody nose. Anyway, I didn't want to be left out of the fun."

"Yeah, but the situation was already under control."

"I don't care. I'd do it again right now. In fact, let's go on a road trip. You could join in too. I'm sure he deserves at least one swift kick to the balls."

"Deeks, your hand looks pretty bad."

"Well, I may have decked Sabatino a couple times too."

Kensi rolled her eyes. "Deeks…"

"Hey, I'd do that again in a heartbeat, too. Those pieces of garbage were people we all trusted and look what they did in return."

"I know." Her eyes met his again. One hand still gently held his as she brought her other hand up to his face. "Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you for saving me."

Deeks turned his face and kissed her wrist, still covered in the marks from when she freed her arm from the restraints. "I'd go to the ends of the earth for you."

"You already have. So many times."

"I hate that he almost really hurt you."

"He didn't though. I'm here. I'm home. We're together."

Deeks smiled and leaned his forehead against hers. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." She smiled. "My hero."

"I am your hero. You want me to start singing the song because I…"

She shut him up with a kiss. "How about no singing today?"

"Okay, I'll wait until tomorrow."


	129. I hate that she did this to you

Post _Payback_ (8x15) - Callen and Michelle

* * *

Callen was not at all surprised when he heard a knock at the door, but he was surprised by who he saw on the other side.

“Michelle?”

“Is this a bad time?”

“No, no. It’s fine.” He stepped aside so she could come inside. “I was just expecting… someone else.”

“You mean my husband.”

“Yes, actually.” He laughed. “I can pretty easily predict when he’s gonna stop by. Usually it’s because he wants to gloat or brag about something.”

“He also does it when he feels terrible about something or he’s worried about you.”

“Yeah, that too.” He said as he closed the door. “So where is my partner tonight?”

“Home. He wanted to come over, but I did too and of course you can see who won that.”

“Of course. So I know the reasons that Sam stops by, but what makes me lucky enough to get a visit from Michelle?”

She looked around and her eyes settled on the once intact table in the dining room. She walked towards it, as if she didn’t hear Callen’s question. There was an uncomfortable silence that he didn’t know what to do with. He was used to being around Michelle, but this was different. He was just about to offer her a glass of water when she took a deep breath and turned toward him.

“I’m sorry, Callen. I never would have set you two up if I knew.”

“You didn’t know.”

“Well, I should have. I feel like this one is all on me.”

“Michelle, it’s okay. It sucks, but we all made it home at the end of the day.”

“That’s always something to be grateful for. But I can’t let it go that easily. This is a betrayal to me on so many levels. That woman was around my daughter for years. I trusted her with Kamran. And I of all people should have known better. My mind won’t stop racing with all the possible ways she could have done something to Kamran. She messed with my family, Callen, and I can’t let that go.”

She walked around to the other side of the table. “And who knows how much she was really involved in this whole thing. Was she involved in getting them information about Aiden and where he went to school? Was that whole thing her fault too? My son almost died. That brave idiot is just as brave and stupid as his father and I know he didn’t just find a place to hide as terrorists invaded his school. I almost lost my son last year and I have no idea if that was her fault or not.”

Michelle picked up the sawzall that he had dropped after slicing the table in half. “And then there’s you. You are more than my husband’s partner. You are like his brother. I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am for all the times you’ve watched over his stupid brave self. A lot of days he’s able to come home because you were there to cover him. You have been his friend, you have been an uncle to my children, you are my family, Callen. And I _hate_ that she did this to you.”

Michelle pulled the trigger switch on the sawzall and brought it up to the table, cutting through until it fell apart even further. She let go of the trigger and looked up at Callen. Her eyes were pooling with tears, but didn’t look any less fierce.

It had been an overwhelming day for him. Getting arrested, escaping from custody, searching for Hetty, searching Kensi, finding out about Joelle. And now, Michelle Hanna was in his house, telling him what he meant to her family.

He smiled and pointed to the saw. “That feels really good, doesn’t it?”

Michelle laughed. “Yes, it’s very satisfying.”

“Although, I got used to there being a table here. Now, I think I’ll have to buy one.”

“Yeah, you should. But that will be a good thing. It’ll be your own.”

Callen walked through the table pieces. He carefully took the sawzall from Michelle and placed it on the ground. Then he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. “Don’t tell Sam, but I’m glad you came over instead of him.”

“Please.” She laughed, returning his embrace. “He already knows you like me best of all.”


	130. Ever Us

Divergent338 yelled at me and gave me feelings and then this happened.

* * *

 Kensi was so bored. Being well enough to be home from the hospital but not well enough to really do anything she enjoyed was driving her crazy. She spent a couple days binge watching _Friends_. When that got old, she tried cleaning the house, but her mom made her stop. She would take Monty outside even though the old dog just wanted to sleep.

Now she was back to the tv, flipping through the channels, but not really focusing on anything. She calculated how many more days she might be stuck like this and that just made her more miserable.

She was brought out of her brooding when an image on the tv caught her eye. She flipped the channels back and saw a commercial for a familiar ring with two stones.

_One diamond for your best friend. One diamond for your true love._

She was stunned, and then a smile slowly crept across her face.

* * *

 Once Deeks was home, they ordered a pizza and Kensi suggested they sit outside. Monty begged for crust from under the patio table while they ate. Deeks told her about his day and she listened, trying to keep her jealousy under control.

“How was your day?” He asked.

“Oh, it was so exciting. You wouldn’t even believe it. _10 Things I Hate About You_ was on tv twice in a row and I watched it both times.”

“Wow.” Deeks laughed. “That does sound exciting.”

“Oh it was.” She said. “Hey, um, can I ask you something?”

“Sure. What is it?”

“Am I…” She smiled and felt a little heat rise in her face. “Am I your best friend?”

“Kens, you can’t ask that kind of question in front of Monty.” Deeks said in a fake whisper.

“I’m serious. Am I your best friend?”

“Why do you ask?”

“No reason.” Kensi looked at her beer bottle and played with the label. “I mean, we’re partners and we’re in a relationship and we live together and love each other. I just wondered… if you thought about me like that too.”

Deeks reached over and gently lifted her face so he could look her in the eyes. He smiled right before leaning over and kissing her.

He rested his forehead against hers. “Kens, I love you so much… and you are my best friend.”

She smiled, feeling warm and happy and content all over. “Good to know.”


	131. What day is today?

_Happy Birthday, Raccoon Lady :)_

* * *

Kensi groaned as she hit the snooze button on her alarm clock one more time. It was time to get up, but she wanted nothing more than to stay put in her warm comfortable bed. Unfortunately, duty was calling. She started to push herself up, but then Deeks snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her close until her back was flat against his chest.

"Come back here," he said sleepily.

"Deeks…" She tried to sound stern even though she loved it when he held her like this. "We're going to be late for work."

"Yeah, but snuggling is more important."

"I highly doubt Hetty will think so."

"Shhhhhh." He placed a lingering kiss on her shoulder. "Don't talk about Hetty when we're in bed. It's a real letdown. Literally and figuratively."

Warmth spread through her body as his lips traveled to her neck. "Come on, Deeks. We've already been late a couple times this week."

"We're still keeping America safe, so what's the big deal?"

She turned around in his embrace. "Well, I don't want to deal with the judgy stares from Sam and Callen so we need to get going." She was still trying to be serious, but he looked so adorable and sleepy and hot.

He just smiled and her heart beat a little faster. "You know what day is today?" he whispered.

"It's Thursday, which means we have to go to work."

"No…" He leaned forward and kissed her softly. "What happened on this day?"

She was about to call him out for stalling, but then it hit her and she smiled back at him. "Tell me."

"Seven years ago today… there was this gorgeous brunette with wavy hair waltzed into my life."

"Waltzed? She actually waltzed?"

"Well, maybe more like salsa'ed."

She scrunched her nose at him. "I doubt there was anything that resembled salsaing that day."

"I don't know. That's not how I remember it."

"Okay, so how do you remember it?"

"Like I said, there was this gorgeous brunette and I could tell she wanted me from the moment she laid eyes on me." He brought his hand up to brush her hair off her face.

"Oh really?"

"Absolutely." He grinned. "And who could blame her?"

She poked his stomach. "Are you sure she wasn't just unbelievably annoyed?"

He startled a bit, but he still had that grin on his face. "No, that's not possible."

"Okay, maybe she thought you were… attractive…"

"Hot, charming, sexy, handsome, irresistible…"

"Attractive, but also really annoying."

"And what do you think now? Seven years later?"

"I think…" She wrapped her arm around him and caressed the soft skin on his back, tracing the lines of his muscles. "That was the best day of my life."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I got the best partner I've ever had. My best friend. And the man I want to be annoyed by for the rest of my life."

"Are you sure about that? Because I'm definitely up for that challenge."

"I know you are. And yes, I'm absolutely sure."

He leaned forward and captured her lips in a breathtaking kiss. He tightened his hold on her and left sweet slow kisses all over her cheek and nose and forehead.

"That was the best day of my life, too," he said, his voice laced with emotion.

She smiled and ran her fingertips along his jaw. "I said it first."

Later on, when they walked into work almost thirty minutes late, Kensi didn't even mind the judgy stares she got from her co-workers. Not one bit.


End file.
